T&T’s men netballers secure CAC Games qualification

T&T finished as runners-up in its international debut at the Americas Netball Men’s Championships, which ended in St. Kitts and Nevis on Wednesday night.

The national team’s second-placed finish means the local unit, coached by Pietra Gay, a former basketballer and netball player, has qualified for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games.

“As the coach of the team, I couldn’t be prouder of our players for their performance in this tournament. Finishing second is a significant achievement, especially considering the hard work and dedication the team has put in throughout the season,” said Gay yesterday.

“While we aimed for the top spot, this result highlights the progress we’ve made and the potential we have for future success.

In T&T’s final match on Wednesday night at the Pam Tyson Netball Stadium in St Kitts against visiting team England, the local team had to settle for a 44-44 draw after leading for much of the match.

Both teams entered the match with the same record five and a loss against eventual champion Jamaica, who played unbeaten throughout the eight-team tournament.

Against the Englishmen, Gay, who also coaches basketball along with assistant coach Obadiah “Buddha” Asher, opened with reliable goal-shooter Dextroy Manswell and goal-attacker Keon Russell, who named MVP of the team, but despite their valiant effort, T&T trailed by one (11-10) at the close of the first quarter.

She stuck with the duo in the second quarter before replacing Russell with captain Steve McSween, and he combined with Manswelll to pull T&T ahead 23-20 at halftime. On the resumption, play remained in favour of the Caribbean team, and it pulled further ahead heading into the fourth period, closing the third session with a five-goal advantage.

But the English team did not go away and made a comeback to tie the scores in the final minute of the match-up. Kerry McMillan, who was later named the “Most Valuable Player” for T&T, was installed in the circle and he had a chance to win the clash after winning a penalty. However, he missed the shot, and the scores remained tied when time expired thereafter.

Though disappointed by the draw, T&T was happy for the wins against St. Vincent and the Grenadines (54-37), USA (48-14), Antigua and Barbuda (87-16), St. Kitts and Nevis (56-27) and Grenada (47-25), respectively. T&T’s lone loss came on Tuesday night versus Jamaica, 62-49.

“Every game was a learning experience, and we’ll use this as motivation to continue improving and striving for excellence. I want to extend my gratitude to the supporters, the technical team, and the players for their incredible efforts and commitment to the sport of netball,” said coach Gay, who, along with Asher, are among the basketball coaches transitioning to netball and coaching at the national level. Previously, Wesley “Pepe” Gomes and Learie “Fruits” Sandy had stints coaching the national senior women’s team.

T&T finished among the top five teams that qualified for the CAC Games. The others are champion Jamaica, third-placed St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), Grenada, and the host country, which placed fourth and fifth, respectively.