Juniors ready for CAREBACO 2016

With several of the island’s top youth badminton players already in Aruba for the Under-19 International leg of the tournament, a group of junior players are putting the final touches on their training for the 2016 Caribbean Regional Badminton Confederation (CAREBACO) International competition there. Fine-tuning their preparation at the Barbados Community College yesterday under the watchful eye of Head Coach Caroline Vaughn, team of just about 10 youngsters will be heading out to Vondellaan to join their older counterparts this week.

 

Speaking to members of the media during yesterday’s training session, Vaughn explained that her charges had been working towards this edition of the championship since coming out of last year’s installment which was held in the Dominican Republic and that training had been going well. 

 

“We have been preparing for the championship since last year September. We have had our season where we had the players doing their physicals and then we moved into different phases and for the last six weeks, we were at the National Sports Council camp where they trained five days consistently. They worked on maintenance, strength training and speed training in preparation for the tournament,” she said.

 

With the Under-11, 13 and 15 players expected to get into the thick of things from Monday, Vaughn said that her players were working hard and expected their efforts to be fruitful. 

 

“I think our chances will be much better than what they were last year. Last year, we placed third in both the seniors and the juniors. This year. I think the juniors have a chance of getting either Gold or Silver because the top teams that we usually rival, such as Jamaica, are not there. That gives us a chance to go forward and be in the running for both top medals but we are aiming for Gold this year,” she said.

 

Noting that at present, there were four players into the semifinals as well as the Doubles team of Shae Martin and Keisha Moore in the final of the Under-19 International, Vaughn explained the reason for the staggered departures and competition dates. “What we have noticed is that our players don’t get to go to international competitions. We have only go the PanAm Championships and a few may attend the US Open competition. What they have decided to do over the last two years, is to have an international Under-19 junior championship. However, for the regional championships, those countries who are not from the region, cannot participate in the coming junior championship,” she said. (MP)