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.
The British Virgin Islands (BVI) archery team has departed for Kingston, Jamaica, to compete in the 2024 WAAm Caribbean Development Championship. Hosted by the Jamaica Archery Federation (JAI), the event runs from September 18 to 22 and will feature top talent from around the Caribbean and beyond.
The competition provides an opportunity for the BVI team, a mix of beginners and developmental archers, to test their skills against athletes from countries to leave their mark on the regional stage. Leading the charge in the Recurve Beginner Under 15 Men category is Matthew Keandré, while David Persaud will compete in the Recurve Developmental Men category. Both will be testing their skills in the qualification rounds for their respective categories.
The Compound Beginner Under 15 Women category sees Kasadiyah Baird aiming for success, while Naomi Onwufuju and Keyara Smith will represent the BVI in the Compound Developmental Under 18 Women category. Javlyn Frett also joins the developmental ranks in the Compound Developmental Women category, setting her sights on strong results.
Kellyann Tillack, competing in the Recurve Beginner Under 18 Women category, rounds out the squad, each determined to put BVI archery on the map.
Coaches Ritseeniyah Georges and Patrick Smith will be guiding the team through the competition, providing essential support and expertise to help the young athletes navigate this important event.
The competition will feature other archers from regional heavyweights like Jamaica, the Bahamas, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. Jamaica, the host nation, leads the pack with a 34-member contingent, while countries like Guyana and the US Virgin Islands (USVI) are also sending strong teams. The United States has joined the competition as well, bringing an additional level of intensity to the championship.
In Round 3 of the 45th Chess Olympiad, the British Virgin Islands notched its first win in the Open division, with Jhon Samuel securing a crucial victory on Board 2 against Bermuda.
The historic event, featuring a record-breaking 193 teams in the Open section and 181 squads in the Women’s competition, is being held in Budapest, Hungary, from September 10-23.
For more updates, follow BVI Chess Federation.
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