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Bahamas men’s national beach soccer team will face Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago and Costa Rica
Simba FrenchSend an emailOctober 18, 2022 228 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email
The Bahamas Football Association (BFA) announced that it will be hosting the Bahamas Beach Soccer Cup at the Beach Soccer Stadium at Malcolm Park, at the foot of the Sir Sidney Poitier Bridge. The event is set for this Friday through Sunday.
The official announcement was made at a press conference held at the stadium yesterday, as the BFA also introduced its title sponsor and partner.
The Bahamas men’s national beach soccer team will face Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago and Costa Rica. Members of the women’s national team, who will be playing for the first time at home, will play host to Trinidad and Tobago and neighboring Turks and Caicos Islands.
Head coach for the women’s team, Daria Adderley said that it is great to finally be playing at home after playing outside the country in international tournaments.
“This is our first international tournament here in The Bahamas. We are going to be playing on Saturday and Sunday. We are very excited for the tournament and happy that the country will get to see us perform,” Adderley said.
The team is ranked at number 18 in the world. Their two opponents come into the tournament unranked.
Gavin Christie, former men’s national beach soccer player, who will now be coaching the team, is elated to be back in the stadium.
“Beach soccer is finally back in The Bahamas,” Christie said. “Due to COVID, the sport had to sit back for a while and we were off for the past year and a half to two. We finally have it back on our shores, we are excited. I am excited in the new venture where I move from player to coach. The team has been begging for an opportunity to play.”
The Bahamas is ranked at number 38 in the world. Colombia is ranked the highest in the tournament at number 26, while Costa Rica is at number 52. Trinidad and Tobago is positioned at number 54.
Playing at the forward position for the women is Hadassah Knowles. She will be looking to score her first international goal.
“I am very excited to be playing in this tournament. We have been training very hard and team chemistry is at its peak, so nothing but high hopes for this tournament. I’m very happy to be playing for and in front of my country,” Knowles said.
Knowles will be joined on the women’s squad by Gina Stubbs, Jade Thelamour, Jada Thelamour, Janeka Edey, Angel Williams, Samina Moss, Taleah Thompson, Karina Almonor and Rondrica Paul.
The assistant coach is LaShane Dean and the equipment manager is Ariell Rolle.
Lesly St. Fleur, a veteran on the men’s team, was recently shortlisted as one of the 100 best male beach soccer players in the world. He said the team has been working hard in practice.
“The team is prepared for the tournament this weekend. We have been preparing very hard even during the pandemic but not playing enough games. We are happy that we finally get the games here and we get to showcase our talents in front of our country. We hope to be victorious and make the country proud,” St. Fleur said.
Making up the men’s team other than St. Fleur, are Brandon Adderley, Michael Butler, Ivan Rolle, Kyle Williams, Gary Joseph, Evelt Julmis, Ian Winder, Peter Julmis and Jean Francois.
The team manager is Julian Smith.
The title sponsor of the event is Aliv. Chief Aliv Officer John Gomez, who considers it Aliv’s mandate to support local entities like the BFA, announced the company’s role at the event. They will be providing premium content to its subscribers to enjoy via the Our TV and Rev TV platforms. They will also be providing free Wi-Fi for patrons at the game.
Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg is excited about the attention The Bahamas will receive from this event.
“It is great that beach soccer is coming back to The Bahamas. It is a growing sport that has continued to excite fans across the world. The acrobatic and fast plays provide entertainment for even the casual fans. It is expected that the event will bring excitement for all and we should all support our national teams and their return to international competition.”
Games will get underway at 6 p.m. on the three days. The Bahamian men will play at 8:30 p.m. each day, while the Bahamian women play at 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free.