Courts All Sectors Netball League begins today

THIS SEASON, the Courts All Sectors Netball League will return to its usual venue, the Eastern Regional Indoor Sports Arena at Tacarigua for all its games.

The League will celebrate 29 years this year. The opening ceremony also takes place at the Eastern Regional Indoor Sports Arena today from 3 pm.

There will be the usual colorful parade of teams marching past to the music of the Fire Service Band.

The Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Shamfa Cudjoe, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee Brian Lewis, and the president of the Trinidad and Tobago Netball Association and the Americas Federation Dr Patricia Butcher have been invited to take the salute.

Twenty five teams will participate in the competitions this season – six in the Premiership, five in the Championship Division, 10 in the Alternative and four in the Retro.

The teams in the Premiership Division are Fire, Police Youth Club, UTC (the Unit Trust Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago), Police, Las Lomas Academy and Defence Force.

The following teams are in the Championship Division – Bermudez United, Defence Force, San Juan Jabloteh, TSTT and newcomers Miscellaneous Laventille United.

In the Alternative Division are Defence Force, Police Youth Club, University of the Southern Caribbean (USC), UWI (X), UWI (Y), San Juan Jabloteh, MIC Tigers (Metal Industries Company), Bermudez United, Las Lomas and the returning TT Post, a returning team.

In the Retro Division, the teams are San Juan Jabloteh, Police, Les Enfants, and TSTT.

A new feature will be introduced into the Premiership Division this year. Each team will allowed a maximum of two male players on court on any given game. It is envisaged that the play will be enhanced and become even more exciting.

Following the March Past, spectators will witness the Opening Day Knock Out Competition in the Premiership, the Championship and the Alternative Divisions.

All the League’s competitions, including the Fast 5, remain the same. Major Knock Out Competitions include the Jean Pierre Challenge trophy and the Steve Sarjeant Challenge trophy. Both Pierre and Sarjeant, who are deceased, were two of the six founding members of the League in 1991.