The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH a chance to compete with some additional teams from the Florida area, the Bahamas will join three other teams from the Caribbean to participate in the 2023 Under-14 Co-Ed CARIFTA Water Polo Championships.

The Bahamas’ team, led by coach Lotty Borbely, left town yesterday and will compete today and Saturday at the Belen Jesuit Preparatory School in Miami, Florida.

Team Bahamas will be represented by Isaiah Colon, Paityn Burrows, Joyelle Brown, Jamar Bienamie, Chelsea Smith, Shanterro Knowles, Jayden Smith, Landon Sumner, Jahmahl Wilson, Indiya Jones, Jayden Jones, La’Mya Bodie, Asher Bastian, Jacob Johnson and Caylen Brown. Borbely will be assisted by Wandalee Burrows and Emma Turnquest will be the Bahamas’ referee.

With only a few countries competing in water polo in the aftermath of COVID-19, Borbely said they agreed to take the event to Miami so that they can get in more games with some high level competition from the teams in the Florida area. “We will have the CARIFTA Games between our teams and we will also get to compete against the teams out of Florida,” said Borbely of the competition expected between Trinidad & Tobago, Curacao and Bonaire.

“We feel very confident that this team will perform very well.”

Borbely, however, said their preparation was a little different in that they didn’t have access to the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex - their home base - because of the repairs for the CARIFTA Swimming Championships next year. But they were still able to get the team ready by training at both the University of the Bahamas and St John’s College swimming pools.

“We have a mixture of girls and boys on this team,” Borbely said. “We have some competitors who have been on the team before and there are some new ones, but we feel they will all come together and perform very well.”