Anecia Baptiste and Kurtisha Hoyce will use their experience as they look to lead T&T youth netballers to its first title in the Caribbean Netball Association's (CNA) Under-16 Jean Pierre Tournament. The local unit leaves this morning at 10.30 en route to St Vincent to battle the rest of Caribbean with the exception of Jamaica. The Jamaicans, for the second straight year, will not to participate, instead opting to battle their England counterparts in a three-match series, which will be held in Birmingham from April 12-15. Baptiste of Tobago and Hoyce, who have been fixtures on the team for a number of years, will again be coached by Naomi Babb, who returns for her fifth stint as the junior coach. Babb will be assisted by Roma Noriega.
Babb, a former national player, has come close on a number of occasions but never getting the top prize, finishing third last year in St Lucia, second in 2010, 2009 and 2008 in Barbados, Jamaica and Antigua, respectively. The tournament will stay in similar format it was played in last year's edition of the junior tournament was played using a two-tier system-the first time in the history of the tournament. T&T, Jamaica, Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, St Kitts, Grenada and St Lucia competed for the Jean Pierre title. Newcomers Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Turks & Caicos and Guyana played in a developmental league. Jamaica has won the youth title ten times-1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010. There were no tournaments in 2003 and 2007 and Jamaica missed the 1999 competition. The only defeat in the history of the tournament of the "Sunshine Girls" came in 2005, when Barbados defeated them and went on to capture the title. T&T will open against St Kitts tomorrow.
T&T TEAM
Shooters: Safiya Fortune, Mariah Ragoonanan, Shannon Duncan, Natiesha Radgman.
Centre-court: Kurtisha Hoyce, Kadesha Coltes, Brittany Foderingham, Akenke Oliver.
Defenders: Anecia Baptiste, Artieana Gregoire, Tiffany Ross, Britnny Felix.
Officials: Naomi Babb (coach), Roma Noriega (assistant coach), Shurlan Bonas (trainer), Kariel Debique (Physiotherapist).