The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THIS could be the year when the Bahamas finally wins the CARIFTA Games’ water polo competition. After winning the silver last year in Martinique, head coach Laszlo Borberly can only see the team coming out with the gold as they take advantage of being at home.

Bahamas Swim Federation will host the 2017 BTC CARIFTA Championships water polo competition April 7-9 at Betty Kelly Kenning National Swim Complex just before the swimming and open water championships are staged April 15-19.

A 20-member team has been selected by the BSF and Borberly is confident that they can accomplish the feat.

The team is comprised of Aidan Johnson, Loron Bain, Johnathon Demeritte, Adrian Burrows, Thor Sasso, Damian Gomez, Gabriel Sastre, Alexander Turnquest, Liam Mills, Nicholas Wallace-Whitfield, Jelani Grant, Gabriel Encinar, Thomas Illing, Stearlin Lewis, Marcel Ingraham, Saequan Miller, Joshua Knowles, Kenrick Stubbs, Adonis Sasso and Sean Knowles.

“Right now we are in preparation to win the gold medal at home,” said Borberly as the team continues to work out at the Betty Kelly Swim Complex. “We went to three international tournaments, one in Trinidad in September, one in Miami in December and Fort Lauderdale in February.

“We played in some competition there and they performed very well. We are training very hard because we want to be ready for the competition here at home.”

Since returning home, Borberly said the team has been going through some vigorous training sessions and the technical aspect of the sport.

“We know that Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados have been their stiffest competitors in the past and they will be coming here with some very strong teams,” Borberly stated. “We have been doing a lot of speed and stamina and so I think the team is ready.

“We have been practicing together, we talk a lot together and we are friends. At the same time we are taking this very seriously because we want to show the entire Bahamas that water polo is a sport that we can win the gold medal in too.”

For the past three years, Borberly was working with the core members of the team and is convinced that their cohesiveness that they have developed will make the difference in the games.

“This is one of the strongest teams that I have ever coached so far here,” Borberly stated. “Physically and mentally, their preparation is very good.

“Every night when I’m training them, I’m looking at their strength and their ability to work together in harmony in the water. We are really ready for the competition. We can’t wait to compete.”

Expected to lead the charge for the Bahamas is Saequan Miller, who is back home after spent two months in Germany training with the local team there as he went through the European style of water polo. Also, Loron Bain has worked with Borberly for the past seven years and Gabriel Sastre is considered to be a very strong player.

There are a number of swimmers who will be converted to the water polo competition like Nicholas Wallace-Whitfield, Gabriel Encinar and Thomas Illing.

With that combination, Borberly said the Bahamas can definitely celebrate as champions when the competition is over and done with.