Netball coach hopeful ahead of U-23 outing

The St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) Under-23 netball coach Godfrey Harry is quietly confident that his charges will give a good account of themselves when they take to the Tanteen courts in Grenada this weekend, in the 26th edition of the OECS tournament.

Harry, who is not new to this type of outing, acknowledged that he does not have the “best” available team, but promised “they will give of their best”.

“We have a team that is capable of doing well, once they carry out the instructions given to them and play with a sense of purpose,” Harry remarked.

At his disposal are six players from last year’s team, which failed to unseat Grenada as champions.

Shooters Kenisha Francis and Khadijha Mills, formerly Williams, return to the team and are joined by newcomers Kayshorn Lowman and Ariel Stephens, while midcourt players Rosannia Stephens and Nerissa Delpesche, will groom debutants Desianne Laborde and Kenisha Browne.

Defence players who have had experience at this level are Zanel James and Jo-Maria Quashie, with Shanice Humphrey and Kaywanna Charles joining the fray.

Harry explained that the new players are meshing well with those who have traversed the path previously.

Accompanying Harry is Pearlina Thomas as manager, while Moeth Gaymes will be SVG’s representative on the umpires’ panel.

The fixtures show that SVG first play Montserrat from 7 p.m. this evening, and tomorrow. Saturday, face off with St Lucia, also at 7 p.m.

The first part of Saturday’s activities will be the hosting of a shooting competition from 3:30 p.m.

On Sunday, the Vincentians engage their Anguilla counterparts from 7 p.m.

A double-ask on Monday culminates St Vincent and the Grenadines’ sojourn in the tournament.

The SVG squad battles St Kitts from 6.30 a.m., then squares off with title-holders and host Grenada from 8 p.m., to wind up the tournament.

The ECCB/OECS Under-23 Netball Tournament is the longest sustained sporting activity in the subregion, having started in 1991. Unlike others, there have been tournaments each year.

St Vincent and the Grenadines has the most titles – 14, with the last hold achieved in 2013.