Defending female champions of the Amerindian Heritage football tournament, Eagle United, was told to mix the composition of its team if it wanted to successfully defend its title this year.
The tournament is scheduled for this weekend.
Coach Shawn Lythcott, in an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sport, said the club was informed of the new changes that will see mixed teams or fully Amerindian teams competing in the Amerindian Heritage football tournament.
“…Our ladies team, Eagle United, is supposed to be defending their title from last year, but this year they [the organizers have] scrapped the tournament. They said they need full Amerindian teams. So there is a team that came together with some Amerindian girls that we are using some of our girls to strengthen the team to go and play the Amerindian month tournament”.
Lythcott said that many of the Amerindian girls are not strangers to the team, but had stopped playing for various reasons. The new additions to the team he said are attending schools in the city and other parts of Region 4. “We have combined the best players to go forward in the tournament,” he enthused.
Last Thursday, Lythcott said, was the team’s first practice session on the Rugby Field in the National Park.
Asked how confident is he of his team Eagle United retaining the title given the new players, he responded: “Our team itself going ahead to play, I would have been confident of a victory. But with these players now, is two new set of players coming together. I am strengthening the area of the defence, and we are using a striker and a midfield [along with] a permanent national keeper… I think that I still have confidence in the…squad.”
Some 21 players are in training at the National Park after which 17 will be named to form the team.
