T&T junior netballers will open their account in the Caribbean Netball Association (CNA) Jean Pierre Under-16 Championships today against Barbados from 6.30 pm at the Vigie Multi-purpose Sports Complex in Castries, St Lucia.
Captain Esther James with support from vice-captain Tamiah Hernandez will lead T&T in their quest to capture it first-ever title in the junior tournament.
However, they will start against a worthy opponent in Barbados "Gems", a team who has captured the crown three times so there will not be much room for error.
Guiding them from the sideline will be coach Velma Hazelwood and assistant coach Lystra Solomon-Simmons, a former national senior captain, in the seven-team competition. The other teams are from Jamaica, Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
In recent times, the national junior "Calypso Girls" have finished down the lower order but Hazelwood said earlier this week that their main goal is to place among the top three positions as the have done before in the Tournament named after the renowned international netballer, the late Jean Pierre of T&T. The youth championships, has been staged annually since 1998.
T&T was runner-up twice to the Jamaican team who has won the tournament a record ten-times.
In today's opening match-up following the opening ceremony at 4 pm will see the host country take on Dominica, from 5.30 pm. The final match of the evening will be between St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada from 7.30 pm.
