Saint Lucia's 70 Named For Windward Islands Games

 Saint Lucia’s Ministry of Youth Development & Sports has announced its 70-member team for the 2014 WINLOT INC/Canadian Bank Note Windward Islands School Games, which will be hosted here in Saint Lucia from 27 July to 6 August at various venues. Saint Lucia will be fielding teams in all eight disciplines, covering five sports: men’s and women’s track and field, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s volleyball, women’s netball and men’s football.

The team has been preparing for months, and Minister for Youth Development & Sports, Honourable Shawn Edward, says that after finishing second to Grenada in St Vincent & the Grenadines last year, Team Saint Lucia are looking forward progressing one step further. In 2012, Saint Lucia had a dismal outing, finishing dead last in the four-nation games.

Shamalyn Albert (right) the overall MVP for Team Saint Lucia in 2013, was also the most valuable player in track and field. She returns to a team that includes 2014 CARIFTA medallist Neema Leon, along with several members of this year's CARIFTA team: Sherlan Jules, Natasha Poleon, Mechaela Hyacinth, Rochelle Etienne and Kamillah Monroque among the women, Darren Defreitas and Denzel St Marthe among the men. Saint Lucia was second last year in track and field.

The men’s volleyball team will be hard-pressed to retain its title. The Games clash with the NORCECA Under-20 tournament, so the team representing Saint Lucia at Windwards will not be the nation’s strongest. But Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth Development & Sports, Fortuna Belrose, says that the depth of the school volleyball programme is such that she remains confident that Darnell Eudoxie and his boys will be able to triumph.

The defending champion women’s volleyball team should be a better bet to repeat. Let by Jedda Alcee, several of these young ladies would just have had the experience of playing at the North and Central American and Caribbean level, with that federation’s under-18 and under-20 competitions having just concluded. Some of the players would also have played on Saint Lucia’s successful team to the Eastern Caribbean championships.

Playing as Combined Schools, the men’s basketball team this year repeated as the Saint Lucia Basketball Federation’s KFC Division One champions. Their performance at the Games will be an interesting gauge of the level of basketball in this country. Last year, despite winning the national title, Saint Lucia finished second to Grenada in Kingston. The team this year is led by the likes of Jean Michel Eloise and Sylvan Louison.

The multi-sport competition includes women's basketball, but not football, although the four nations engage more regularly in the latter. Kameka President was the most valuable player for Saint Lucia in 2013 in basketball, and she returns along with Marabelle Mason, who is also a useful field events athlete. Last year, Saint Lucia were second to Grenada.

It's been a year of mixed fortunes for Saint Lucia in netball, but junior player of the year Valencia Classe (left) is hopeful that she can leapfrog Saint Lucia from third to first in this year's Games. She has been part of the senior national team setup; along with Kamala Mangal, who played for the OECS / ECCB Under-23 champion team, Valencia will be seeking a turnaround in the junior team's fortunes.

Similarly, the footballers will be aiming to move up the standings. They finished third in 2013, but this year will be hoping to emulate their senior counterparts as Windwards champions. Many of the young footballers from the sub-region would have been involved this past weekend in the first round of Caribbean Football Union qualifying for the 2015 Under-20 World Cup.

With the theme Four Teams, One Dream, the Windward Islands School Games are often seen as a sub-regional variation of the Olympics. Inaugurated in 1922, the first three editions involved only Saint Lucia and St Vincent & the Grenadines. Grenada first participated in 1925, and after World War II, when the Games returned from a wartime hiatus, Dominica joined in as well. From 1950 until the mid-seventies, the Games were staged biennially. Competition was once again suspended, this time mainly due to the cost of having the Games, until some 20 years ago.

Track & Field – Men:

·         Janille Greenidge

·         Asa Lionel

·         Mavric Pamphile

·         Cejay Mc Lawrence

·         Darren Defreitas

·         Desran Desir

·         Denzel St Marthe

·         Curt Herman

·         Junior Francois

Track & Field - Women:

·         Sherlan Jules

·         Natasha Poleon

·         Shamalyn Albert

·         Mechaela Hyacinth

·         Allana Paul

·         Rochelle Etienne

·         Kamillah Monroque

·         Neema Leon

·         Gabrielle Tobierre

Volleyball – Men:

·         Niamyah Cherubin

·         Darnell Eudoxie

·         Scott Louis

·         Shermuel Clercent

·         Dionmede Joseph

·         Yohance Cazaubon

·         Christus Jn Baptiste

·         Yan Taupier

·         Ryi Maryat

Volleyball - Women:

·         Jedda Alcee

·         Joyana Cooper

·         Unrisha Brandis

·         Tessiana Norlan

·         Kimara Hippolyte

Netball - Women:

·         Kirvina Segobin

·         Marissa Arlain

·         Pouchal St Juste

·         Kamalla Mangal

·         Nena Joseph

·         Shanika Andrew

·         Tamara Samuel

·         Janella Didier

·         Verne Alexander

·         Megan Ephraim

·         Lucky Preville

·         Valencia Classe

Football - Men:

·         Tard Modeste

·         Peter Mortley

·         Francis Joyeux

·         Mc Arthur Joseph

·         Zacheus Dornelly

·         Jackim Ochilly

·         Tamar Moise

·         Rommel Hippolyte

·         Noah Didier

·         Kendal Polius

·         Troy Fanis

·         Neil James

·         Jason Similien

Basketball - Men:

·         Jamal Adjodha

·         Jean Michel Eloise

·         Sylvan Louison

·         Jervais Florius

·         Pakel Gumps

·         Tristan James

·         Dawnley Joseph

·         Naron Lorde

Basketball - Women:

·         Ramani Lewis-Emmanuel

·         Kameka President

·         Sheamin Simon

·         Cherkira Shuffler

·         Marabel Mason

The track and field coaches are Dane Magloire, Cuthbert Modeste and Liaxna Montalvo. Luis Oviedo Bonilla was named best volleyball coach at the 2013 Games; he will be supported by Joseph Clercent and Bernard President. Although Shem Maxwell has been working with the netball team, she is captain of the Saint Lucia team to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. Kentis Ferdinand will deputize for her as coach. Solomon Alexander and Zephtan Gray are the football coaches. For men’s and women’s basketball, the coaches are Andy Simon Santiesteban and Ninoska Leon Scull.

Photo of Valencia Classe by Anthony Debeauville.