Sports
BVI banking on home crowd support for “difficult” game with Puerto Rico
BVI coach Chris Kiwomya
(JTV News) — Coach of the BVI men’s national team, Chris Kiwomya, said the upcoming match between the BVI and Puerto will be a difficult game because most of the players on the opponent’s team are professionals.
The CONCACAF Nations League match is scheduled to take place on March 23 at the A.O. Shirley Recreation Grounds in Road Town.
Kick-off time is 3 p.m.
According to a press release from the BVI Football Association, “this is the final game in this season’s Nation League, with the BVI’s last home game a 1-1 draw with the Cayman Islands. That result was repeated in the reverse fixture and then the BVI went to Puerto Rico, where they suffered a 0-6 defeat”.
Coach Kiwomya hopes that the gap will be reduced when the BVI and Puerto Rico meet again.
“It’s going to be a difficult game, obviously,” Kiwomya was quoted as saying in the press release. “Puerto Rico are a very talented team with strong players in all areas on the pitch, but we have been working hard and recently held a training camp in Florida, which was excellent, a really good motivation for the players and where I got to see a lot of the players for the first time in a long time.”
He added: “We spoke about how we wanted to approach the game and the players took it on board. We’ve got some good young players in the under-20s and under-17s who are coming forward so hopefully, I will be able to try and give them opportunities in the national team when the time is right. We’ll be looking for the support of the BVI fans and all the people in the Territory to come and support the team. They got right behind the team when we played the Caymans, and they created a really wonderful atmosphere.”
According to the release, Kiwomya said vociferous home support will help the team play even better and that the players did the BVI proud, which they will do again when Puerto Rico comes to town.
“They are 39 places ahead of us in the FIFA rankings and are a team full of professionals who will be technically better than us, but they won’t have bigger hearts than us and if we have more legs than them on the day, with a large crowd behind us, being our 12th man, then when they come to our place we can show that the gap between us is shrinking, so let’s get a big a crowd as possible there and I look forward to seeing everyone on the day and doing our best to make you proud,” he explained.
Regarding home crowd support, senior player Tyler Forbes echoed similar sentiments.
He said in the release: “This is a whole new game, a whole new team, and a new system, so I think it’s very important that we’re not undermined. There are a lot of people I know who are coming from the UK and from all over to watch the game. My mum’s going to come to watch the game, and I feel like we deserve that crowd, like when we played Cayman, to come down again, and you know when I was on the pitch and I felt like I couldn’t run that extra 10 yards, the crowd cheering us on made me know that I can run another 10 yards or even more. So, I feel like that’s a big part of the game and we need that excitement and level of support.”
Troy Caesar, who missed the game against Puerto Rico, but featured in the home game against Cayman after a long period of unavailability, and is now captain of the team, also hopes for a large crowd at the A.O. Shirley.
“The crowd, the community, the whole of the British Virgin Islands, my co-workers, everyone plays a big part. They are our 12th man on the field, they bring that energy, they bring the spirit and we need to get that support because we all know that it’s going to be a tough and competitive game. The energy we get from that crowd gives us a lift and keeps us going for 90 minutes.”
According to the release, tickets are now on sale and available from the BVI Office in East End/Long Look as well as the CCT main office across from the Fire Station.
They cost just $10 for adults and $5 for children. aged 5-12.
The British Virgin Islands will be well represented on the global stage later this month as sprinters Beyoncé Defreitas and Rikkoi Brathwaite prepare to compete at the 2025 World Indoor Championships in Tokyo. The BVI Athletics Association officially announced their selection for the prestigious competition, set to take place from March 21 to 23 at the Nanjing Sports Training Center.
Brathwaite, a semi-finalist at last year’s Indoor World Athletics meet, will take to the track on March 21 for the 60m preliminaries at 9:10 a.m. local time. If he advances, he will return for the semifinals at 4:10 p.m. the same day. Defreitas will follow on March 22, with her 60m preliminaries scheduled for 7:15 a.m. and semifinals at 4:15 p.m.
The BVI is aiming to add to its medal count at the World Indoor Championships, with its sole podium finish coming in 2008 when Tahesia Harrigan-Scott secured bronze in the 60m sprint in Valencia, Spain. Now, Brathwaite and Defreitas look to make history once again for their nation.
Accompanying the athletes will be Ralston Henry, a World Athletics-certified senior coach, who will serve as both coach and team manager for the Championships.
The team is set to depart for Tokyo on March 13, ready to compete against the world’s best.
Local News
Lanzarote Calero Sailing Team Wraps Up 44Cup Nanny Cay with Solid Progress and Eyes on Porto Cervo
The Lanzarote Calero Sailing Team completed its participation in the 44Cup Nanny Cay on a strong note, with all races finished under ideal conditions, including 15-18 knot winds and clear skies. The team’s performance showcased marked progress as they competed in a high-level fleet, demonstrating their growing capabilities within the class.
Throughout the day, the team made strategic adjustments to adapt to the changing conditions. Starting with the J3 jib for the first few races, they switched to the J2 jib for later races, maintaining consistent performance. Particularly noteworthy were their starts and the first windward mark roundings, where the team matched up well against the top contenders in the field. Although Charisma and Aleph Racing battled it out for the title, newer teams like GeMera and Lanzarote Calero Sailing Team used the final race to refine their coordination and continue gaining experience.
Looking ahead, the Lanzarote Calero Sailing Team is now focused on the next stop of the 44Cup circuit in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, scheduled for May 15-18, 2025. With key learnings from Nanny Cay, the team is eager to make further strides, especially with the anticipation of racing with their own boat in Porto Cervo.
“We’ve completed a very demanding event, facing some of the world’s best crews. While the results don’t yet reflect our full potential, we leave with invaluable experience and the certainty that with our own boat at the next event, we will be able to compete under better conditions,” said tactician Alfredo González.
As the 44Cup continues to grow, the Lanzarote Calero Sailing Team remains committed to using the competition as a platform for talent development, combining experienced sailors with promising young prospects. With their new boat designed specifically to meet their needs, the team aims to close the gap and emerge as a stronger contender in future events, including the overall standings.
For more information on the 44Cup Nanny Cay and race results, visit 44cup.org.
For more on the Lanzarote Calero Sailing Team, visit lanzarotecalerosailingteam.com.
16 February 2025 – 44Cup Nanny Cay
The British Virgin Islands cricket team claim the USVI President’s Cup title, defeating the St. Thomas All-Stars by 57 runs in the championship final at the George E. Goodwin Cricket Ground on February 16.
After winning the toss, BVI elected to bat first and posted a competitive total of 170 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs. Joel Williams led the scoring with 36 off 27 deliveries, supported by contributions from Ameri Hinds and Yohann Lezama, who each added 25 runs. Shelan Isidore provided late momentum, smashing 30 off just 15 balls. St. Thomas struggled to contain the BVI batting lineup, with bowler Dane Weston conceding 46 runs in his four overs while managing to claim one wicket.
Chasing 171 for victory, the St. Thomas All-Stars struggled against a disciplined BVI bowling attack and were dismissed for 113 in their full 20 overs. Collin Joseph was the top scorer for St. Thomas with 31 off 32 balls, while Samuel Jones added 18. BVI’s Julian St. Clair was instrumental in restricting the opposition, taking four wickets for just 10 runs in his two-over spell. Dhanpaul Chrisnanand and Imran Smith chipped in with two wickets each, ensuring St. Thomas never gained momentum.
For his match-winning bowling performance, St. Clair was named Man of the Match. BVI also claimed several individual accolades, with Ameri Hinds earning the MVP award for his all-around contributions—78 runs, two catches, and one wicket. St. Clair also took home the Most Wickets award, while St. Thomas’ Doyle Jones secured the Most Runs award with 69 runs in the tournament.
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