Trinidad and Tobago Netball Association Inc. would like to inform our stakeholders of the International Netball Federation’s (INF) announcement on the cancellation of the Netball World Youth Cup that was scheduled to take place in Fiji from the 2nd to the 11th December, 2021.
In a release issued last evening after the board meeting held on March 12th 2021, a comprehensive risk assessment related to hosting the event during the on-going Covid -19 pandemic was conducted, that a number of challenges including and not restricted to, the inability of teams to adequately plan and prepare together for an intense level of international competition, on-going border closures, travel restrictions including quarantine measures and costs were deemed too much of a challenge to host the event.
The INF President, Liz Nicholl CBE, said “It is with a heavy heart that we make this decision to cancel the Netball World Youth Cup 2021.
“Our U21 athletes represent the emerging talent at an international level, and we recognise this announcement will be a significant disappointment for them, for our Members, our fans and indeed for all the netball family. We thank the organising committee for their considerable efforts thus far in planning for the event and for the ongoing support of the Fijian Government in relation to hosting.”
In consultation with the Prime Minister of Fiji, Frank Bainimarama, and the Minister for Youth and Sports, Praveen Kumar Bala, they commented, “Whilst we are disappointed with the decision, we appreciate that it was made in the best interest of all stakeholders.
The Fijian Government said it looks forward to working with INF in the future to host an international event, in an environment that safeguards the health of all people involved.
“To our Squad here in Trinidad and Tobago , we thank you for offering yourself to represent our beloved country. We thank you for the sacrifices made from time to time and especially during this difficult period. We wish you every success as you continue to go and grow forward in the sport. The path is clear, and the possibilities are endless, do not give up, we need you. Just keep on striving until you reach your goal.”
The Association said ”we stand shoulder to shoulder with the rest of our netball partners in this season and look forward to planning every move strategically, to rebound stronger than ever.”
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