The Guyana Netball Association’s Senior Netball Tournament begins today at the Mandela Gymnasium from 15:45 and spectators can expect to be thrilled as Emanie and All Stars, believed to be the two top teams, take to the court.
However, much to the disappointment of many the two will not go head-to-head, but instead each will face off against two relatively new teams.
All Stars will take on the new guys on the block, the Eagles Netball Club, while it will be the Rim Rockerz who will be looking to ward off Emanie.
The game will open with the All Stars against Eagles and while the Eagles will be making their debut at the tournament, team Captain Shondel Samaroo has let it be known that the team is ready and is most definitely in it to win.
“We are not going in there with any intentions of losing, not because we are the new team. We are out to make a difference and we are not bringing last, we are aiming for the sky,” Samaroo maintained.
The national senior netball team player noted that while the team, which came into being in June this year, is new to the tournament it has several veterans who had played the game over the years.
Samaroo declared “We are ready, and I don’t think we are ready, I know we are ready. We have players who have played before over the years so they know the game, it is just about bonding and for them to get used to playing with each other. And this tournament will do that, this game will give us that experience,” Samaroo stated.
The team will be headed by Samaroo herself who will play a main position of wing attack on the team. The position of vice-captain will be filled by Shevanna Williams, whose main position will be goal attack.
Also expected to be among the leading players on the team will be Donnette Boston and Naomi Goodridge, both of whom play a main position of centre, and Christine Nurse, a main position of wing attack.
Meanwhile, the usual full force can be expected of the All Stars. As the defending team in order to retain their title they will have to keep at bay existing and new talent which include a battle against arch rival Emanie, who has made a return fresh off their two-year suspension.
Speaking with Stabroek Sport, president of the club, Tracy O’Neil, affirmed that the All Stars will not be intimidated by any competition. And as long as the team is given a fair game they stand a good chance at walking away with the tournament title.
“As is everybody we are going for the win. Against Emanie it will be a fight, and you can never know who is going to win so we are going into this optimistic of a win. We are just hoping for a fair chance in winning all of our games, we just want fair officials, fair umpires,” O’Neil said.
According to O’Neil the team will be made up almost completely of the players who took part in the Under-23 tournament earlier this year, when they placed second after winning all but one of their games and losing to the tournament winners, Emanie.
Spearheading this team’s performance will be national senior players Shonnette Eswick and Tameka McEwan.
For Rim Rockerz, coach Randolph Critchlow disclosed that the club will display the talent of a “fairly young and fairly new” senior netball team, as the majority of the team will be made up of players who have never played at the senior level before.
Critchlow noted that apart from the Eagles who are now launching their team, relative to the experience to the other teams the Rim Rockerz will be new to the competition, and will bring an unpredictability to the contest.
And spectators can judge the competition for themselves as the six competing netball teams vie for the top spot. The teams will be playing in a round robin format with points awarded for wins.
At the end the team with the most points will be declared the winner. The completion will run through the weekend and will end on Monday afternoon with a final match-up between the Fearless Flyers and Rim Rockerz.
Full Fixtures for the tournament are as follows:
Friday:
15:15hrs – All Stars vs Eagles
16:45 hrs – Rim Rockerz vs Emanie
Saturday:
09:00 hrs – Doves vs Fearless Flyers
10:30 hrs – All Stars vs Emanie
12:00 hrs – Fearless Flyers vs Rim Rockerz
13:45 hrs – Doves vs All Stars
15:15 hrs – Emanie vs Fearless Flyers
16:45 hrs – Emanie vs Fearless Flyers
16:45 hrs – Doves vs Eagles
Sunday:
09:00 hrs – Emanie vs Doves
10:30 hrs – Fearless Flyers vs Eagles
12:00 hrs All Stars vs Rim Rockerz
13:45 hrs Eagles vs Emanie
15:15 hrs – Doves vs Rim Rockerz
16:45 – Fearless Flyers vs All Stars
Monday:
16:45 hrs – Fearless Flyer vs Rim Rockerz
