Sports
CONCACAF: BVI overseas-based players arrive ahead of clash with Puerto Rico (see video)
Members of the BVI men’s national football team at the A.O. Shirley Recreation Grounds on Thursday, March 16. The team is preparing for its CONCACAF clash with Puerto Rico on March 23. * Photo by JTV News
(JTV News) — The overseas-based players of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) national men’s football teams arrived ahead of the CONCACAF Nations League clash with Puerto Rico, which takes place on Thursday, March 23 at the A.O. Shirley Recreation Grounds in Road Town on Tortola.
The players went straight into intense training in preparation for the game, the British Virgin Islands Football Association (BVIFA) said in a Facebook post on Thursday, March 16. (Video below shows the team in training on Thursday, March 16)
A video on the BVIFA’s social media page shows the players arriving at the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport and being greeted by four flag-waving youths at the final exit.
According to the BVIFA, featured are “Tyler Forbes, Jake Forbes, Luka Chalwell, Mekhai Waters, Justin Smith, Miggy Marshall and Levon Williams. Flag Bearers, BDO Youth League Players, Kaylen Williams (AMPS), Dianna Williams (ESHS), Christian Campbell (SGPS) and Emmanuel Campbell (SGPS)”.
Coach of the BVI men’s national team, Chris Kiwomya, had said in an earlier report that the upcoming match will be a difficult game because most of the players on the opponent’s team are professionals.
“It’s going to be a difficult game, obviously,” Kiwomya was quoted as saying in a BVIFA 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.
Five coaches were awarded their Concacaf C License certifications, the British Virgin Islands Football Association announced this week, marking a new step in the Territory’s push to strengthen youth football development. The certificates were presented by BVIFA Technical Director Paul Decle, who addressed the group alongside representatives of the association.
Decle, speaking at the brief presentation ceremony, underscored the responsibility that accompanies the new qualification. “Your role now is to develop the future of football,” he said. “The mandate from the BVIFA to the new C License coaches is to put in the work and develop the youth — on and off the field.”
The Concacaf C License Course is designed to improve coaching standards across the region by focusing on player development, session planning, and youth-centered instruction. Completion of the program allows coaches to work more extensively within national grassroots and youth football structures.
BVIFA officials described the accomplishment as part of the association’s wider effort to strengthen coaching capacity, improve technical standards, and expand youth outreach programs across the islands.
The newly licensed coaches are expected to support BVIFA training initiatives, youth academies, and upcoming development programs scheduled throughout the 2024–25 calendar.
The British Virgin Islands men’s rugby sevens team will begin its Rugby Americas North (RAN) Sevens campaign today, Nov. 21 in Arima, Trinidad, with scheduled matches against St. Lucia at 10:28 a.m. and Turks and Caicos at 2:28 p.m. at Larry Gomes Stadium. The tournament runs Nov. 20–22 and will feature national teams from across the region.
The BVI squad is preparing for a demanding three-day slate that continues on Nov. 22 with games against St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Curaçao, followed by a matchup with the Bahamas on Nov. 23. Results from the tournament will contribute to regional rankings and, in some cases, influence qualification pathways for future international events.
Team officials released the full roster ahead of travel to Trinidad. The delegation includes Jayden Williams, Josiah Means, Jonathan McAauley, Gethin Jones, Bradrick Evans, Stuart Fee, Rossa Canavan, Roan Thornton, Denvin Jones, D’von Jones, Thomas Wilson, Roequan Hemerding, Robert Lind and Thomas Chapman. Coach James Morris and manager Mark Jones will oversee preparations.
Tournament organizers say RAN Sevens remains the primary development platform for rugby sevens in the Caribbean and North America, offering emerging unions consistent exposure to international-standard play. The BVI team is expected to complete final training sessions before taking the field Friday morning.
Further updates will follow once competition gets underway.
Courtney Bascombe earned a bronze medal in the men’s 100 metres at the North, Central American and Caribbean Masters Athletics Championships in Mexico City after a strong showing in both rounds of competition.
Bascombe advanced to the final after winning his preliminary heat on Friday with a time of 11.43 seconds. He improved in the medal round on Saturday, clocking 11.35 seconds to finish third overall.
The regional Masters Championships bring together veteran athletes from across the Americas and the Caribbean, competing in track and field disciplines across multiple age categories. The event is sanctioned by the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) and recognises athletes over 35 years of age.
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