TT's Polo Princesses win U16 title in Florida

TT's Under-16 water polo team sealed a 5-4 sudden death victory over local Florida team, Riptides, yesterday to win the water polo Girls 16 and Under division title at the 2018 Sunshine State Games, in Coral Springs, Florida.

Victoria Gillette scored a pair of goals, while Tahirah Beepat, Abeo Valentine and Yasmin Mohammed all got one each to cap off a near perfect challenge for coach Alan Too A Foo's junior team.

After a dominant start and a strong defensive display, TT went on to take a comfortable 3-1 lead at half time. The team conceded a penalty in the third quarter and closed the period with a 4-3 lead. In the final period, TT conceded to Riptides, and with the score tied at 4-4 tie to match went into a sudden death extra-time period. The "Polo Princesses", however, rallied back with another surge with another goal to seal the win.

They were subsequently awarded with a team trophy and gold medals.

The tournament ­– used to compensate for the cancellation of the CCCAN Under-16 Girls division competition – served its purpose as the team prepares for the Pan American Games, a qualifying event for the Junior World Water Polo Championships next year.

The Princesses advanced to the final after sealing a 7-6 win over SFWP on Friday, and wins over Orlando Thunder (12-3) and Riptides (11-4), on Saturday. In the second match against Thunder, Gillette, Mohammed and Brean Jordan each scored three goals each. Beepat helped with a pair of goals, while Aaliyah Aching got the other goal.

The Sunshine State Games is a prestigious series of events held annually over several months. It covers over 30 sports with hundreds of athletes from clubs and communities around Florida.

The team traveled over 2,600 km to compete and were reportedly welcomed warmly by the Florida hosts and organisers.