RIEAH HOLDER?received the best birthday gift she could imagine when she was selected to lead the Barbados Under-21 netball team who head off to the World Junior tournament on Sunday.
Holder said she was “ecstatic” after being announced as captain on Wednesday night, the eve of her 20th birthday, at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium.
The accounts and finance student at the University of the West Indies indicated she always saw herself as a leader and that she was well prepared to help her team to give nothing than the best in Glasgow, Scotland.
“I was not surprised to be chosen as captain but I want to justify the faith and trust which the netball board and coaches have shown in me,” she said. “Although I see the captaincy as a challenge since I would have to concentrate on my position as goal attack while ensuring that the entire team is carrying out the coaches’ instructions, it is a challenge that I am prepared to meet and use to help my team.”
Two vice-captains have been chosen for the team who welcomed the chance to play on the indoor wooden floor of the gymnasium.
They are Jeneice Clarke, who is making her second appearance at an under-21 World Championship, and Tyneisha Rowe.
The Barbados team will not play pool matches until August 24, two days after the opening ceremony.
Coach Sandra Bruce-Small has already indicated that Barbados aimed to finish in the top eight but captain Holder has set her sights higher – to be among the top five.
“We see England as the biggest challenge in our group which contains Papua New Guinea, the Republic of Ireland as well as Singapore,” she said.
“We do not play until two days after the start of the championship and that gives us time to acclimatize to the conditions, get in court time against some of the other teams as well as we get the chance to scout the plays of those teams that we have to meet in our pool.”
Holder has already worn senior colours while representing Barbados in England and Trinidad and Tobago and aspires to make her mark as one of Barbados’ best at goal attack.
