By SKNFA
Flow 4G Cayon F.C. left the island on Wednesday to participate in the CONCACAF Caribbean Shield tournament in the Dominican Republic, in a bid to get a place in the Caribbean Club Championship. Club Secretary Mr. Andy Blanchette, said on Monday, as the team trained at its grounds in Cayon, that participating in this tournament will help develop the young players on the team, who may not have had much experience playing abroad. “We believe in giving them these opportunities, especially against the backdrop that many of would not be able to make it at national level to get that international exposure so we thought that we would provide them this opportunity,” Blanchette said.
Mr. Blanchette also pointed out that this trip is an expensive venture for the team, but has been getting support from the private sector and parliament representative for the area Mr. Eugene Hamilton. “It’s costing us, right now as we speak, over $US30,000. Luckily for us the organizing institution CONCACAF, would have given just an input of $US12,000 and we thought that approaching the private sector and the stakeholders of the football product, we would have been able to amass that undertaking and indeed we are just about there,” Blanchette said.
Meanwhile, coach of the team George Yellowman Isaac said training has gone well and he is confident his team will make a mark on the tournament. “I am very pleased with the attitude and the work that they (team) are putting out at the moment,” he said. “I think about 90 percent of the players are focused on the tournament and are looking forward to going there and being successful,” he added.
Adolphus Jones, one of the goalkeepers on Cayon F.C. is looking forward to participating in the competition and is confident they will do well. Unlike some of the players on the team, Jones has international experience having done stints with the national team in the past and as an athlete representing St. Kitts and Nevis. He is hoping to transfer this experience to help his teammates and the team on a whole. “I guess I would bring a little experience in terms of performing under the lights, so it would be just to motivate the players, encourage them and get them ready mentally. That would be a big part. So I would definitely would have to speak to a few of them and get them ready mentally,” Jones explained. Cayon will compete in Group C with teams from the Cayman Islands, Curacao and Martinique.