U20s end Brazil tour on winning note

Trinidad and Tobago’s  National Under 20 footballers ended their training camp in Sao Paolo, Brazil on a winning note with a 2-1 victory over Angolan Professional club CRD Libolo on Tuesday.

Preparing for next month’s final round of qualification for the 2009 FIFA World Youth Championship, the T&T side, coached by Zoran Vranes, got their goals from Sean De Silva in the 61^st minute and got an own goal ten minutes later after the African senior professional outfit equalized in the 73^rd.

De Silva put T&T ahead with a well executed left footed shot from 22 yards out in what was T&T’s strongest showing of the tour.

Vranes later summed up the trip as a valuable training exercise.

“We have gained tremendous experience in the three matches. We had the chance to work at excellent facilities and get some strong competition from the teams we played against here,”he told TTFF Media.

“I think our last game which we won was maybe against the most experienced team but we worked very hard to get the win which is good for the confidence of the players. “

The team arrived back in Trinidad on Wednesday and will resume preparations before their opening qualifying match against Canada on March 7 at the Marvin Lee Stadium,

DIGICEL SERIES 2009 - MORE THAN A MATCH

Digicel bring the cricket experience for West Indies fans “beyond the boundaries”

 

Thursday, January 29 - Kingston, Jamaica:  For true cricket fans, Cricket goes beyond just a match.  Cricket is an experience.  West Indies cricket unites 15 Caribbean countries and has for years proven that together, the region can achieve greatness. 

 

Next Wednesday, February 4, West Indians all around the world will rally around as the West Indies face England in four Digicel Test matches, 1 Digicel Twenty/20 and 5 Digicel ODI’s in the Digicel Series 2009. 

 

Digicel believes that the cricket experience goes beyond the match.  Kieran Foley, Digicel Group’s Head of Sponsorship explains: “Digicel believes strongly in the pride that the West Indies team is capable of bringing to the people in the Caribbean through the power of cricket.  Through Digicel, we want to take fans closer to this, to experience an interaction beyond the matches for a richer cricket experience.  Our slogan: ‘More than a match’ seeks to maximize the cricket fan’s experience with player diaries, an interactive website, promotions and prizes for fans and the fun and enjoyment of the Digicel Cricket Experience where people can match their skills against some of the West Indies players.”

 

The game of cricket continues to be a unifying force within the region, emerging as a bridge connecting the many islands which make up the Caribbean.  To capture this sentiment Digicel commissioned Soca star Destra to record the Digicel Series 2009 anthem More than a Match where she sings: “Come on, rally on, we in this thing together, we are mighty, we are strong. West Indian pride, we are one.”

 

In less than one week, cricket fans will experience a potential 26 days of exciting cricket when the West Indies stand up to England in the Digicel Series 2009.  Digicel has ensured that this coming Digicel Series will involve fans in more ways than before and promises fans that this series will indeed be ‘More Than a Match’.

 

 

DIGICEL SERIES 2009 FIXTURES

 

MATCHES            DATE                     VENUE

1st Digicel Test    Feb 4th -8th          Sabina Park, Jamaica

 

2nd Digicel Test   Feb 13th -17th      Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua & Barbuda

 

3rd Digicel Test    Feb 26th –Mar 2  Kensington Oval, Barbados

 

4th Digicel Test    Mar 6th - 10th       Queen's Park Oval, Trinidad

 

Digicel T20           Mar 15th                Queen's Park Oval, Trinidad

 

1st Digicel ODI     Mar 20th                Providence Stadium, Guyana

 

2nd Digicel ODI   Mar 22nd               Providence Stadium, Guyana

 

3rd Digicel ODI    Mar 27th                Kensington Oval, Barbados

 

4th Digicel ODI     Mar 29th                Kensington Oval, Barbados

 

5th Digicel ODI     Apr 3rd                   Beausejour Stadium, St. Lucia

 

 

DIGICEL BRINGS CRICKET HOME - ticket prices info !

West Indies returns home to face England in what is sure to be a thrilling Digicel Series

 

Monday, January 26 - Kingston, Jamaica:  After a closely contested Away Series in New Zealand, the West Indies cricket team has returned home to face England in the Digicel Series 2009.

 

England arrived in the Caribbean on January 21st for the Digicel Series which involves four Digicel Tests, five Digicel ODIs and one Digicel Twenty20 taking place in six countries across the Caribbean from February 4th – April 3rd, 2009.  Digicel is a proud sponsor of the upcoming England Tour to the Caribbean, with the 1st Digicel Test against the West Indies taking place at Sabina Park, Jamaica, on Wednesday, February 4th.

 

MATCHES            DATE     VENUE

1st Digicel Test  February 4th -8th             Sabina Park, Jamaica

 

2nd Digicel Test February 13th -17th        Sir Vivian Richards Stadium,

Antigua & Barbuda

3rd Digicel Test  February 26th  – March 2nd        Kensington Oval, Barbados

 

4th Digicel Test  March 6th - 10th               Queen's Park Oval, Trinidad

 

Digicel T20           March 15th         Queen's Park Oval, Trinidad

 

1st Digicel ODI   March 20th         Providence Stadium, Guyana

 

2nd Digicel ODI  March 22nd        Providence Stadium, Guyana

 

3rd Digicel ODI   March 27th         Kensington Oval, Barbados

 

4th Digicel ODI   March 29th         Kensington Oval, Barbados

 

5th Digicel ODI   April 3rd               Beausejour Stadium, St. Lucia

 

 

Digicel Group Head of Sponsorship, Kieran Foley, is looking forward to the upcoming series: “We are looking forward to what is sure to be an exciting Digicel Series against England in the Caribbean. Over the last year, the West Indies cricketers have made great progress as a team and individually, with some of the players breaking ground with their batting and bowling during the recent Away Tour to New Zealand.

 

“For the upcoming Digicel Series, we have once again developed a host of fun and exciting initiatives and we are looking forward to the thousands of fans from across the Caribbean turning up to support their team as they take on England on their home turf.”

 

West Indies Head Coach John Dyson is expecting “tense, hard-fought” cricket against England in the upcoming Digicel Series 2009: “The much awaited Digicel Series against England should produce some tense, hard-fought cricket between the two teams. England is placed two spots higher than the West Indies at Number five on the ICC Test table, which is enough incentive to spur the West Indies team on to perform well.

 

“The cricket loving public should be ready for some engrossing cricket. It is time for West Indies to stand up and prove that we are climbing the International Cricket Council’s [ICC] table.”

 

Starting Wednesday, February 4th, cricket fans will experience a potential 26 days of exciting cricket when the West Indies stand up to England in the Digicel Series 2009 and Digicel promises fans that this series will indeed be ‘More Than a Match’.

 

 

DIGICEL SERIES 2009 - TICKET PRICES      

                               

1st Digicel Test                 

Sabina Park, Jamaica                      

Feb 4-8                

Day 1 & 2             George Headly                  J$1,500

Day 1 & 2             North Stand (Upper)      J$1,800

Day 1 & 2             North Stand (Lower)      J$1,500

Day 1 & 2             North Stand (Lo Front)  J$800

Day 3 & 4             George Headly                  J$2,100

Day 3 & 4             North Stand (Upper)      J$2,400

Day 3 & 4             North Stand (Lower)      J$2,100

Day 3 & 4             North Stand (Lo Front)  J$1,000

Day 1-4 Mound TBA

                               

2nd Digicel Test                

Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua & Barbuda 

Feb 13-17                           

Day 1, 2 & 3         North Stand       EC$50

Day 1, 2 & 3         South Stand       EC$50

Day 4                     North Stand       EC$40

Day 4                     South Stand       EC$40

All Days                Grounds              EC$20

                               

3rd Digicel Test                 

Kensington Oval, Barbados                         

Feb 26 - Mar 2                  

Day 1     Greenidge & Haynes Stand (Lower)        BD$70

Day 1     Greenidge & Haynes Stand (Upper)        BD$80

Day 1     Hall & Griffith (Upper)                                   BD$70

Day 1     Hall & Griffith (Lower)                                    BD$35

Day 1     Hewitt & Inniss (Upper)                                BD$70

Day 1     Hewitt & Inniss (Lower)                                BD$30

Day 1     The 3Ws (Lower)                                              BD$50

Day 2, 3 & 4         Greenidge & Haynes Stand (Lower)        BD$80

Day 2, 3 & 4         Greenidge & Haynes Stand (Upper)        BD$90

Day 2, 3 & 4         Hall & Griffith (Upper)                   BD$80

Day 2, 3 & 4         Hall & Griffith (Lower)                    BD$45

Day 2, 3 & 4         Hewitt & Inniss (Upper)                BD$80

Day 2, 3 & 4         Hewitt & Inniss (Lower)                BD$40

Day 2, 3 & 4         The 3Ws (Lower)                              BD$60

All Days                Grounds                                              BD$10

                               

4th Digicel Test                 

Queen's Park Oval, Trinidad                       

Mar 6-10                             

Day 1, 2 & 3         BG/Scotia Bank, (Lower)               TT$120

Day 1, 2 & 3         BG/Scotia Bank (Upper)                TT$150

Day 1, 2 & 3         CLICO/C.L. Duprey Stand (Up & Lo           TT$120

Day 1, 2 & 3         Jeffrey Stollmeyer Stand (Lo)     TT$120

Day 1, 2 & 3         Dos Santos (Lower)                         TT$120

Day 1, 2 & 3         Learie Constantine (Up & Lo)      TT$120

Day 1, 2 & 3         Carib Beer (Upper)                          TT$150

Day 1, 2 & 3         Carib Beer (Lower)                          TT$120

Day 1, 2 & 3         Republic Bank (Up & Lower)       TT$120

Day 4     BG/Scotia Bank, (Lower)                               TT$100

Day 4     BG/Scotia Bank (Upper)                                TT$130

Day 4     CLICO/C.L. Duprey Stand (Up & Lo)          TT$100

Day 4     Jeffrey Stollmeyer Stand (Lower)             TT$100

Day 4     Dos Santos (Lower)                                         TT$100

Day 4     Learie Constantine (Upper & Lower)       TT$100

Day 4     Carib Beer (Upper)                                          TT$130

Day 4     Carib Beer (Lower)                                          TT$100

Day 4     Republic Bank (Upper & Lower)                TT$100

                               

Digicel Twenty20                             

Queen's Park Oval, Trinidad                       

15-Mar                

Trini Posse Stand              TBA       

All other areas   TT$300 

                               

1st & 2nd Digicel ODI                     

Providence Stadium, Guyana                    

Mar 20 & 22                       

South West Stand (Green)          GY$5,000            

South East Stand (Orange)           GY$3,500            

North West Stand (Red)               GY$4,500            

North East Grass Mound              GY$1,500            

Pavilion                                                GY$7,000            

                               

3rd & 4th Digicel ODI                      

Kensington Oval, Barbados                         

Mar 27 & 29                       

Greenidge & Haynes Stand (Lower)        BD$90  

Greenidge & Haynes Stand (Upper)        BD$100

Hall & Griffith (Upper)                                   BD$90  

Hall & Griffith (Lower)                                    BD$55  

Hewitt & Inniss (Upper)                                BD$90  

Hewitt & Inniss (Lower)                                BD$50  

The 3Ws (Lower)                                              BD$80  

                               

5th Digicel ODI                  

Beausejour Stadium, St. Lucia                   

3-Apr                    

Vieux Fort Pavilion Suite               EC$150 

Grounds                                              EC$40   

All other areas                                   EC$100 

 

 

ABOUT DIGICEL GROUP

Since its launch in 2001, Digicel has become the largest wireless telecommunications operator in the Caribbean with more than six million customers.  After seven years, Digicel is renowned for competitive rates, unbeatable coverage, superior customer care, a wide variety of products and services and state-of-the-art handsets. By offering innovative wireless services and community support, Digicel has become a leading brand in the Caribbean and has placed the region at the cutting-edge of wireless communications – the company is also a new entrant to the Central American market.

 

Digicel is incorporated in Bermuda and now has operations in 31 markets world-wide. Its Caribbean and Central American markets comprise Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Panama, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Turks & Caicos. The Caribbean company also has coverage in St. Martin and St. Barths. Digicel Pacific comprises Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.

 

Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean and Central American sports teams, including the West Indies Cricket Team and Special Olympics teams throughout the region.

Theobald gets his New Year’s Wish

Caledonia AIA captain Densill Theobald had his New Year’s wish granted when he got a recall to the National Senior Team ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifying encounter against El Salvador on February 11.Theobald had not played for T&T since the 3-1 victory over Cuba in August. He had previously been dropped after a friendly with Guadeloupe in February. But now head coach Francisco Maturana has given him another chance by naming him in the 20-man squad which leaves later this month for Argentina for a training camp prior to the clash with El Salvador.For Theobald, good opportunities come to those who “work and wait for them.”“I think my chance came again because of the added amount of hard work that I had put in the last quarter of 2008. It was a devastating feeling for me when I got dropped and had to look on at the games in the last round but coming from where I grew up I have learnt to struggle through the hard times and turn things around. Knowing that I had been to a World Cup with some of the same players and now I was being left out wasn’t a good feeling. So I knew I had to go the extra mile to get my spot back and thankfully this has been given to me,” Theobald told TTFF Media on Tuesday.“I know my spot isn’t sealed but it’s an incentive to go all out and like Russell (Latapy) said yesterday, all of us players need to go out and fight to earn a spot on the World Cup team and it should be an exciting time for all of us.”He credited the set up at Caledonia AIA for his comeback.“Winning the 2008 FA Cup was a great achievement for us and the work that I was able to put in with the staff and the players at Caledonia played a great part in me getting my form back to a decent level again. I was able to see the positive results and I think it’s important for all players to realize what kind of results can be achieved from hard work and cooperation.“Football in Trinidad and Tobago is heading into an exciting period in 2009 and what we as player and athletes need to realize more is that we need to put down our heads and make it work for the country. The same goes for the leaders and the people in general. There is a lot of crime now but through football and sport we can bring back the love in T&T.”Theobald is one of the few players who has had the opportunity to work along with Russell Latapy in an overseas professional environment as they both were attached to Falkirk FC prior to the 2006 World Cup.“I must say I feel blessed to have had that opportunity to work with the ‘Magic’ in Scotland. The kind of respect he had there and the admiration of the fans and the players was tremendous. I was able to see this man as someone who is very serious and committed to football. He is a totally different person when it comes to being out there on the pitch. I think that he will be a great addition to the staff. Having him involved in a coaching capacity with the team and being around football in T&T just makes it even more exciting for the game in this country,” Theobald said.

Latapy in 20-man squad for Argentina tour

A 20-man Trinidad and Tobago squad has been named to travel to Argentina for a live-in training camp on January 21 as the “Soca Warriors step up their preparation for the opening match of the 2010 Final Round of World Cup qualification away to El Salvador on February 11.The squad is inclusive of mostly home based players and will be cut following the Argentina leg of the upcoming tour. That will be closely followed by the naming of the selected overseas-based players who will be invited to form the final 18-man squad to face El Salvador.Head Coach Francisco Maturana has kept faith with at least ten players who have been part of the team’s 2010 World Cup campaign thus far. But there are some new faces with Clico San Juan Jabloteh midfielder Trent Noel being recalled and there are also first time call ups for Jabloteh defender Robert Primus and W Connection’s Andrei Pacheco. Noel had one appearance in a 2-2 draw with Puerto Rico in January since Maturana’s appointment while Pacheco was part of the 2007 Gold Cup squad.Puerto Rico Islanders forward Kendall Jagdeosingh has also been invited while there are recalls for 2006 World Cup team midfielder Densill Theobald and French-based winger Kevaughn Connell who is currently unattached but has been in training with French Third Division team Cassis Carnoux.W Connection goalkeeper Marvin Phillip who suffered a stab wound before the Christmas holidays, is also included and is expected to recover sufficiently to take up training on the upcoming tour.Newly appointed Assistant Coach Russell Latapy arrives back in Trinidad on the weekend and will accompany the team in a player/coach capacity.Latapy shared his views on the build up to the El Salvador encounter.“I think it’s an excellent opportunity for the players to come together to prepare for the match against El Salvador. I know it’s a training tour but I would not want any of the players selected to think of it as just a training team or a training trip. They must all go into it with the feeling that it’s a great opportunity for them to fight and earn that place in the final World Cup team,” Latapy told TTFF Media on Monday.“Personally I’m looking forward to the trip because it’s my first one in this capacity and it’s the first time in quite a while that I will get that opportunity to work and prepare with a National Team since I’ve began playing professionally abroad so from that side of it I’m really excited.“But at the same time I think it’s important that I sit down with the Head Coach and we can be able to share our views with regards to the preparation of the team. I’m really looking forward to working with him and the rest of the staff and the boys as well. I think if we can both share our views then it allows me to have his respect and he will have mine as well which I think will be excellent for the team and the football in Trinidad and Tobago in general,” Latapy added.Latapy also shared his thoughts on the amount at stake for players vying for selection on a World Cup team.“I’ve seen a lot of potential in the boys around now and it’s just a matter of us on the staff now being able to get the team to play the right way to get the right results. I think if we can prepare well and get everyone to understand their respective roles and work in proper execution then we will be in fine shape. “Back in my day as a younger player now coming into the national set up there wasn’t much opportunities for players to get professional contracts abroad but that’s not the case now and I think there is a lot more at stake for upcoming players now. And you’ve got to enjoy what you are doing. Players can’t always work hard if there’s no time to enjoy it too. There has to be a time to sacrifice and work hard and a time to play and enjoy a bit of it,” Latapy added.

Team for Argentina tour

Goalkeepers1. Marvin Phillip -W.Connection2. Jan Michael Williams- Ferencvárosi TC ( Hungary )

Defenders3. Seon Power- Joe Public4. Keyeno Thomas-Joe Public5. Makan Hislop- United Petrotrin6. Robert Primus- Clico San Juan Jabloteh7. Andre Pacheco-W.Connection8. Aklie Edwards-Defence Force

Midfielders9. Clyde Leon- W.Connection10. Khaleem Hyland-Unattached11. Osei Telesford-Puerto Rico Islanders12. Anthony Wolfe-North East . Stars13. Keon Daniel-Unattached14. Kevaughn Connell- (France)15. Densill Theobald- Caledonia AIA16. Russell Latapy- Player/Coach17. Trent Noel – Clico San Juan Jabloteh

Forwards18. Errol McFarlane- Superstar Rangers19. Kendall Jagdeosingh- Puerto Rico Islanders20. Cornell Glen – Clico San Juan Jabloteh