2022 Commonwealth Games review: Trinidad & Tobago
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AS the curtain closes on another Commonwealth Games, we take a look back at how each of the netballing nations fared in our team-by-team review series. Next up is Trinidad & Tobago, a nation that was missing its best shooter in Sam Wallace and subsequently finished bottom in Pool B, before defeating Barbados in the playoffs to secure 11th place overall for the tournament.
GAMES AT A GANDER
Without Wallace at the helm and in the shooting circle, the Trinidad & Tobago side lacked that star shooter. They had the incredible Shaquanda Greene-Noel leading the way up the other end, but they did not have enough star talent to really get the job done. A tough first-up match against home nation England saw the Calypso Girls go down by 52 goals. A 34-goal loss to Uganda followed, before also sustaining large defeats to New Zealand (56 goals) and Malawi (40). Coming into the final group match, the Caribbean nation would have circled the Northern Ireland clash as one it had home to win, but alas the Calypso Girls fell short in a low-scoring contest, 32-41. Trinidad and Tobago did manage to get a win on the board though, showing the gap in quality between even 11th and 12th, defeating Barbados by 32 goals (63-31).
STANDOUTS:
One of the easiest choices for either side, the captain Greene-Noel was simply outstanding throughout the Commonwealth Games. Having plied her trade de ella at Celtic Dragons in the Vitality Netball Superleague (VNSL) this year, Greene-Noel became very popular amongst English and Welsh fans. She showcased her personality throughout the tournament with dancing and generally enjoying every moment. She would be one of the most prolific defenders in the tournament, pulling down 24 rebounds, 12 interceptions and 28 deflections to be the clear standout Calypso Girl. Without Wallace in goal shooter, Afeisha Noel did her best to score a team-high 122 goals and the second most rebounds (15), while defending Aniecia Baptiste was next best behind Greene-Noel with 27 deflections, five intercepts and two rebounds.
FUTURE TALENTS:
Though Trinidad & Tobago did not have anyone born in the 21st Century, they rotated through a number of youngsters. Shantel Seemungal turned 24 at the start of the year and had 17 goal assists from 35 feeds playing in just the two games, while Tahirah Hollingsworth also only played four games but scored 12 goals from 18 attempts and had 10 goal assists from 13 feeds. Faith Hagley turned 23 earlier this year and worked hard in the midcourt with 18 goal assists from 31 feeds in five games.
SUMMARY
Trinidad & Tobago would have loved to have played off in the ninth placed playoff instead of the 11th placed playoff given the natural talent on its list at full strength. With Wallace in, there is little doubt the Calypso Girls would have gone much better, but are still growing a midcourt for the future. The win over Barbados was some reward for effort and well deserved, especially for the captain who would have claims as one of the best defenders across the tournament.