T&T boys’ (Daynte Stewart and Marley Davidson) and girls’ (Tysan Selvon and Britney Choon) teams both came up short in their efforts to qualify for the Youth Olympic Games to be staged in Buenos Aires, Argentina from October 6 to 18.
This after the locals, unbeaten at the end of their Saturday’s preliminary roundrobin group stages, could only secure silver (boys) and bronze (girls) medals when the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Youth Olympic Beach Volleyball Boys Qualifier ended, at Eagle Beach Oranjestad, Aruba on Sunday afternoon.
With only the winning pairs assured of a Youth Olympic Games ticket, the hosts’ pair of Brian Howell Brokken and Raibiently Mercalina played a perfect final, with no unforced errors.
And despite being unable to stop the T&T attack, they scored just as effectively and capitalised on the few errors made by their Caribbean Neighbours to take the title 21- 19, 21-18.
Earlier on when play resumed with quarterfinal matches, US Virgin Islands’ Williams Clements and Joseph Sibilly Jr, who placed second in Group A defeated the third-place team from Group B Suriname’s Dean Kasdi and Brasley Soetowikromo 21-9, 21-16 while Jamaicans Clifton Clarke and N’Gozi Thompson of Group B silenced Haiti’s Phillippe Jean and Brednev Docteur, 21-13, 21-11.
Then in the semifinals, the undefeated group winners T&T and Aruba advance easily.
T&T dismissed the US Virgin Islands 21-10, 21-12 and Aruba made easy work of Jamaica 21- 16, 21-13.
Jamaica defeated Us the Virgin Islands to take the bronze medals 21-12, 21-19.
Aruba made full use of its home advantage as the girl’s team of Kayla Arends and Mali Rafini swept past Haitians, Rose Etienne and Carolina Richard 21-14, 21-6 to take the converted prize of a trip to South American later this year.
On Sunday morning, the winless Haitians finished third in Group A and defeated the second place team from Group B, Khrysti Rosa and Tia Highes of US Virgin Island 18-21, 21-11, 15-4 and the Arubans, second Group A, swept passed Group B’s Jamaicans, Selena Mitchell, and Tavia Danielle Watson, 21-4, 21-13.
In the semifinals, the undefeated both group winners capitulated as Haiti avenged a three-set round-robin loss to T&T, with a 21-12, 23-21 victory and Aruba rolled over Suriname’s Ketura Margaret and Xenna Luitjes, 21-9, 21-9 to set up an unexpected final.
The T&T girls, while very sadden by their only loss, was able to defeat Suriname to take the bronze medal 21-13, 21-8.
FINAL GIRLS RANKING
Aruba, Haiti, T&T, Suriname,
Jamaica, US Virgin Islands
FINAL BOYS’ RANKING
Aruba, T&T, Jamaica, US Virgin
Islands, Suriname, Haiti
