In Athletics and some 40 years after making its first trek to the Carifta Games in Nassau, Bahamas in 1976, the BVI Athletics Association (BVIAA) officially announced a team of 21 athletes to represent the territory at the 45th Carifta Games in St George’s, Grenada over the Easter Weekend. Photo: Charlie E. Jackson/VINO

The Under 13 football team took off for St Maarten on Friday March 25, 2016 to compete in a tournament featuring teams from Guadeloupe, Martinique, USVI and the hosts, with the VI playing its first game against Risk Takers, before facing United Stars and Junior Stars in its group. Photo: Charlie E. Jackson/VINO

And to round out the youth teams going abroad, the National Under 15 Cricket Team will be departing for St Kitts on Monday March 28, 2016 to compete in the Leeward Islands 50 over Championship, which is being held in St Kitts and Nevis. Photo: Charlie E. Jackson/VINO

The Under 13 football team took off for St Maarten on Friday March 25, 2016 to compete in a tournament featuring teams from Guadeloupe, Martinique, USVI and the hosts, with the VI playing its first game against Risk Takers, before facing United Stars and Junior Stars in its group.

The squad: Luka Chalwell, Justin Smith,Michael Palladino, Lawton Green, Jalen Prentice, Azarni Callwood, Denvin Jones, Alejandro Santos, Jamal Prentice, Luca Reich, T’Khoi Richardson, Ikyjah Williams and Lekoy Lennard.

Finalists promised in every event @ Carifta Games

In Athletics and some 40 years after making its first trek to the Carifta Games in Nassau, Bahamas in 1976, the BVI Athletics Association (BVIAA) officially announced a team of 21 athletes to represent the territory at the 45th Carifta Games in St George’s, Grenada over the Easter Weekend.

Some 19 of the 21 athletes have recorded a personal best mark this season while five athletes have established six outdoor National Records and three have met IAAF World Jr Championships qualifying standards.

Chief Coach Dag Samuels said during the press briefing, “I am grateful that we have such a team that can represent the territory. I can pledge one thing to the territory, that we have on our team—finalists. We will be finalists in every event that we do and that will make any country proud.”

The 2016 Carifta team:

U18 Girls: Beyonce DeFreitas, 200m; Arianna Hayde, Javelin Throw, Long Jump; Z’Niah Hutchinson, High Jump, Xiomara “Gia” Malone, High Jump: Judine Lacey, 400m, Shaniyah Caul, 400m and Akira Phillip, Javelin Throw. Boys: Djimon Gumbs, Shot Put and Discus Throw; Joshua Hill, 800m; Rackeel Jack, 400 and 800m; K’Cei Moses, 200 and 400m; Rikkoi Brathwaite, 100 and 200m.

U20 Girls: Tarika Moses, 400 and 800m; Nelda Huggins, 100 and 200m; Britney Peters, Javelin Throw; Lakeisha Warner, 400m Hurdles & 800m; Deya Erickson, 100m Hurdles; L’T’Sha Fahie, 100 and 200m; Kiwanna Emmanuel, Discus Throw. Boys: Akeem Bradshaw Long and Triple Jump and Ronique Todman, 200 and 400m.

Under 15 cricketers heading to St Kitts

And to round out the youth teams going abroad, the National Under 15 Cricket Team will be departing for St Kitts on Monday March 28, 2016 to compete in the Leeward Islands 50 Overs Championship, which is being held in St Kitts and Nevis.

The tournament includes teams from Anguilla, St Kitts, Nevis, Antigua and Montserrat as well as the VI and will give the young lads a great opportunity to test their skills against some of the region’s more traditional power houses.

The squad includes boys from Elmore Stoutt High School, Bregado Flax Educational Centre and Cedar International School and all have been hard at practice for the last couple of months.

The VI get into action on March 29, 2016 against Montserrat at the St Paul’s Sports Complex, which is a first class ground, and then face Anguilla on March 30 at the same venue. After a day off the boys will play Nevis in Nevis and conclude the tournament back at St Paul’s with a game against St Kitts before returning home on April 2, 2016.

The full squad includes: Daniel Gilford, Marcus Butler, Hash Banthia, Alshirban Prescott, Roiley Christopher, Steven Ganga, Jerome Perera, Joshua Cumberbatch, Valiston Guishard, Trent Olive, Nathan Francis, Kemal Pancho and Pratham Yadav.

The coaches are Charlie E. Jackson and Anil Kumar.