National darts team off to Americas/ Caribbean Championship

The national darts team departed Guyana at 06:00 hrs this morning en route to Barbados to compete in the Americas/Caribbean Cup which commences on Saturday July 9 and runs until July 18.

The national darts team
The national darts team

A total of thirteen players, eight males and five females along with a coach and manager are allowed on each team. However, due to the financial situation of the Guyana Darts Association (GDA) they are taking the minimum team requirement of eight male and four female.

The following is a full list of the team; Jamwant Bhupan: (President/Manager/ Player), Sudesh Fitzgerald. : (Coach/Captain), Luis Merlano(Assiostant coach/player), Marvin Yaw(coach/ player), Lallchand Rambharose, Nicholas Seetaram, Adrian Damon, Terence Joseph, Mary Correia, Jaswantie Hiralall, Victorine Chandro and Melissa Smartt.

The players will compete in the following category: singles, doubles, mixed doubles and triples.

Prior to their departure, the national team utilized the Malteenoes Sports Club Pavilion three times per week for training. This was done to ensure the players are prepared to compete. This tournament is held once every two years in the Caribbean and also in Florida.

Countries participating are, host Barbados, Guyana, Trinidad, Jamaica

Bahamas, Turk and Caicos, Florida, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Belize and Canada.

Last time Guyana participated in an international competition in 2014, they managed a few accolades in the Bryden’s Cup also held in the Land of the Flying Fish. National Champion Sudesh Fitzgerald, who is the captain of the current team, was Guyana’s top player. He combined with a foreign player to win the mixed doubles category.

Fitzgerald also won the Caribbean and South American Masters in 2008 which qualified him to represent Guyana at the PDC World Darts Championship, held in London in 2009. In 2008 he reached the sem-final in the World Darts Federation Americas Cup singles. Miss Hiralall won the ladies single in 2008 in the Bryden’s Darts Festival, which is held yearly in Barbados.