The Turks and Caicos National Girls’ team have beaten out three other teams to win silver in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Under-14 Girls Challenge Series Tier II final against Aruba.
The CFU Under-14 Challenge series saw teams split into two tiers, according to their skillset to battle amongst themselves for gold. TCI girls played in Tier II along with Aruba, Curacao, St. Kitts & Nevis and US Virgin Islands.
Team TCI went into the final strong with two wins under their belt. Naturally, the event was a cause for celebration and the girls had their eyes set on victory.
Our team who played hard and represented well faced off with the undefeated Aruba team in the final, staging a 3–0 win against Team TCI.
The Girls’ placing in the series was historic! It it marked the first time any football team from the TCI has ever competed in a final of a regional or international tournament.
The Head Coach for the girls team, Olivia Graveley, said of the accomplishment…
“I am beyond proud of our team and what they have accomplished. This experience is the true definition of ‘hard work pays off‘. The girls are ecstatic and more focused than they have ever been. They are more motivated to play their best. And, they realize and acknowledge this historical moment for both the TCIFA and Turks and Caicos Islands. Our team has played a good defensive game that helped them to push forward in the competition, along with aggression and good shape. It feels amazing to have reached this far, and we are truly excited about our journey and future competitions.”
President of the TCIFA, Sonia Fulford-Missick added that…
“This tournament was an opportunity to provide international competition for our young [players]. The performances of both teams were tremendous, showing growth and development and speaks well for the future as we anticipate the matriculation of these players to the senior teams. I am especially delighted in the history-making performance of our young female players who reached the finals and were runners-up in this international tournament. I would like to thank the parents of all our young players for entrusting us with their children and allowing us the opportunity to assist in their development both on and off the football field.”
The games took place from August 22-29th in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The CFU tournament is held in different years but the COVID – 19 pandemic led to the postponement of last year’s Boys tournament. The result is the mixed-gender tournament combo.
For the boys, Turks and Caicos Islands played in Tier II along with Aruba, Bonaire, and US Virgin Islands. Although, they performed very competitively, they were not able to advance beyond the semifinals.
