TT make Carifta water polo return today

THE FOUR national junior water polo teams will start their challenge at the three-day Carifta Aquatics Championships today at the Barbados Aquatic Centre, Gary Sobers Gymnasium, in Wildey.

Head of delegation and manager Jerry Chin Lee will represent TT this morning when teams are briefed on the draw for the three-day event, which also includes the hosts Barbados, the Bahamas, and the Dutch territories of Curacao and Bonaire.

The 54 water polo players, coaches and delegates arrived in Barbados yesterday, coming off two full months of intense training.

Led by the respective coaches in Russell Ferreira, Justin Bodden, Nicola Welch (head coach) and Leon Daniel, TT will challenge the 14-and-under Co-ed division, 16-and-under Male, 19-and-under Male, and 19-and-under Female categories.

Leading up to the championships, Chin Lee, a long time manager of the various national water polo teams said the objective is to see TT return to the pinnacle of the sport within the region. “For many years, we have dominated the competition. However, over the last two years (having missed last year), we have not been as competitive as we have been in the past,” Chin Lee told Newsday earlier this week.

The teams will return on Tuesday, with a 46-member swimming team set to depart for the same destination on April 19 and return on April 24 for the swimming segment of the Carifta event.

Squads

16-and-under Male

Miguel Green, Ricardo Ramdan, David Agard, Benjamin Chow-Quan, Ross Gillette, Dante Drakes-McKell, Malachi Valdez-Brown, Christian Chin Lee, Micah Mitchell, Yannick Robertson, Marvin Gillard-Bruce, Jonathan Matthews and Jeremy Mohamed.

Delegate: Jerry Chin Lee

Head coach: Russell Ferreira

Assistant coach: Leon Daniel

14-and-Under co-ed

Kyle Chin Lee, Nathan Hinds, Bryant Finklea, Justin Hackett, Jade Charles, Josh Fuller, Danielle Lequay, Aedan Anthony-Phillips, Keon Bacchus, Joshua Callender, Shawn Sookoo, Logan Beepat and Aariz Celestine.

Delegate: Derek Hinds

Head coach: Leon Daniel

Assistant coach: Nicola Welch

19-and-Under Female

Zoe van Reeken, Tahira Beepat, Jaeda Attong-Julien, Megan Stafford, Leah Mitchell, Yasmin Mohammed, Aaliyah Aching, Victoria Gillette, Hailey de Leon, Ava Waddell, Morgan Donawa, Jordan Waithe and Christina Nimblett.

Delegate: Melanie Waddell

Head coach: Nicola Welch

Assistant coach: Russell Ferreira

19-and-Under Male

Dylan Lee, Jonathan Constantine, Jean-Luc hinds, Jason Hackett, Chad Rowley, Everson Latchman, Luke Gillette, Charles Gillette, Jameel Atteih, Daniel Ammon, Amons Boodoo, Kelvin Caesar and Jerome Gunness.

Delegate: Ricardo Waithe

Head coach: Justin Bodden

Assistant coach: Nicola Welch