Derice Biggart led T&T to its second victory at the first International Handball Federation’s Men’s North American and the Caribbean Emerging Nations Championship, defeating St. Kitts and Nevis. Biggart scored 10 goals out of 18 attempts as the local boys dismissed its opponents 33-25.
It came two days after T&T defeated Barbados 44-23.
The win means Saint Kitts and Nevis is still waiting for its first win in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, after the second Placement Round match of the day. T&T was out of the starting blocks very quickly, racing to a lead in the first half. They would hold on to that lead for the rest of the game. By the eighth minute, T&T already had created a five-goal lead and went into the half at 33-25.
There would be no further goals in the match as T&T gets set to face Dominica in its final match today at midday. Saint Kitts, who still has not claimed a single point yet in the championship, is facing Barbados in its last match.
After the game, T&T coach Kenwin Goden told Guardian Media Sports, he was satisfied with the team’s response after a rough start to the tournament. He said, “It was a hard-fought victory, one that builds our character moving into the next game. It was something that we were expecting, but we didn’t expect it to be so intense. The team from Saint Kitts were determined to keep coming at us. Even though we were prepared, we were made to work even harder for it.”
Goden said because his side was made to work hard for its victory, it will help not only build better teamwork, but also enhance their understanding of the game moving forward. Although T&T remains relatively new to the sport, the T&T coach wants his side to show that they belong at the international level, and not just making up numbers.
Goden continued, “We plan to continue focusing on what we have learned and to better execute it. It is paramount for us to continue showing growth and to continue showing that we have earned the right to be in the tournament. It is more about making our presence felt in a much bigger way as a country that is still new to the sport on the level.”
The tournament wraps up today with the placement matches starting the day, then moving on to the bronze and gold medal matches.