Trinidad and Tobago's Under-16 netball coach, Suzie Hyles-Lewis, hopes her team's historic Jean Pierre Youth Championship title win will breathe new life into netball as she urged the nation to rally behind a sport that once brought global glory to the Twin Island Republic.
"This win actually gives us hope that netball is not dead in Trinidad,” she told reporters moments after her team arrived home, greeted by a crowd swelling with national pride.
Trinidad and Tobago’s young netballers etched their names into the history books as they clinched the Jean Pierre Youth Championship title for the first time in the 21-year history of the tournament. Their commanding 34–20 win over St Lucia in the final game on Saturday saw them finish the competition unbeaten, as they topped the standings with a perfect 25 points at the Wildey Gymnasium, Garfield Sobers Sports Complex in Barbados.
Host nation Barbados followed with 21 points, while St Lucia rounded out the top three with 17 points.
A visibly emotional Hyles-Lewis, while reflecting on the magnitude of the achievement, emphasized just how long the journey had been.
“Twenty-one years it take us to bring the trophy home, so words cannot express how deeply emotional I feel about this journey. It started with the previous administration, and the new administration came in and continued this path forward," she shared.
Now, the coach believes the time is ripe to rebuild the foundation of netball in the country. With this landmark victory, she made a passionate plea for increased investment in the sport in which Trinidad and Tobago won a World netball title in 1979.
“Corporate sponsors need to invest in the youths because the youths are the development path to the senior team to actually bring glory back to the sport,” she said.
Hyles-Lewis also took time to express her gratitude to those who played pivotal roles in the team’s success, including former Netball Association president Sherry-Ann Blackburn. But even amidst the jubilation, the coach's vision looked beyond trophies. Her dream is rooted in creating a sustainable future for the game.
"Without each individual—without them—this could never have been possible. My dream for the team is that we get a netball home so young girls could be engaged in a home for the sport. We don’t have to borrow, we don’t have to beg," Hyles-Lewis stated.
Among those welcoming the team back was David Roberts, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sport and Community Development, who praised the athletes and pledged continued support.
"We know that a lot of work went into what they were doing, and we are glad that on this occasion they were successful, proving at this point that they are the best in the Caribbean, and that is very consistent with the work we are doing at the Ministry, not just looking at sport development but also sport for development. So we are very excited, and we look forward to a continued partnership with the Netball Association," Roberts said.
Caption: Members of the Trinidad and Tobago triumphant team at the 21st Jean Pierre Caribbean Youth Netball Tournament in Barbados. (Photo T&T Netball Association)