The Tribune

COMING off a second-place finish at the sub-regional level, Team Bahamas will now face off against the top finishers from the other regions and the host country in the Under-12 category.

With a 4-1 record in the subregion 3, Team Bahamas returns to the Dominican Republic to compete amongst the best of the best.

Team members fielded once again by The Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) are Tatyana Madu, Kaylah Fox, Briana Houlgrave and Coach Marion.

BLTA president Perry Newton was on hand to wish the team well as they depart today.

He stated: “The members of the team have put in a lot of work to get to this point.

“Each team member resides on a different island or in a different country, so that is a challenge. However the team was able to gain synergy.

“They will face greater competition than ever before but we believe they will have strong performances. On behalf of my board and on behalf of the country, we wish them well.”

Other countries competing include Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mexico, The Domincan Republic and El Salvador. Mexico and the Dominican Republic will have two teams participating.

The Bahamas team will have a practice day on Friday with competition set to start on Saturday morning. The tournament ends on Wednesday, November 24, at which point the top team will be crowned the best in the U-12 in the Caribbean and Central America.

“To qualify for this prestigious event is a testament to the talent of these young girls, the work of the coaches inclusive of the travelling coach and the growth of tennis in The Bahamas. The Bahamas has qualified at this level before but it is always a pleasure to once again be a part of the top level in tennis at this young age division.

“The BLTA has fielded a very talented team. All the girls are top-ranked players in the country. They have performed well on the local tennis circuit in The Bahamas and have availed themselves of international tournaments in the US. It takes alot of dedication to maintain a high physical and competitive standard during COVID, there were restrictions in the past year. The BLTA has organised very well to ensure the well-being of the players and the team so that they have every opportunity to compete well.”