When the senior women national team takes on Guyana early next year in its first encounter in the CONCACAF championship, it is expected that the team will be sufficiently prepared to give a good account of themselves.
This is because the Dominican Football Association (DFA) recently received approval from the government to have the team begin training ahead of the upcoming CONCACAF Women’s Championship tournament scheduled for February of 2022.
DFA Public Relations Officer (PRO), Gerald George, announced recently that the DFA had discussions with the environmental health department and the ministry of sports where a number of protocols were agreed upon.
“Dominica will play its first game against Guyana in an away match on February 16th, and then we’ll take on Trinidad and Tobago in our home game on February 20th. The ‘Nature Island Ladies’ will have another home game on April 6th when they come up against Turks and Caicos Islands to be followed by an away game against Nicaragua on April 12th,” he said in a press statement.
Meantime head coach of the senior women national team, Albert Titre said the ladies are responding well to the training so far.
In an interview state-owned DBS radio, he said the ladies were anxious to get back on the field.
“We are so pleased. The ladies have been… talking about getting back on the field and they have been doing the own personal training from the home, so it’s just welcoming to see,” Titre said.
He noted that his team needs to work on their energy, mobility and fitness. However, he said good progress is being made.
“We are to work on attitudes of the players,” he pointed out. “As you know, we’re in a pandemic so this is key to get the players mentally ready and I believe once the ladies are positive, we will give a good challenge.”
The DFA has thanked the Environmental Health Department and Ministry of Sports for their collaboration.
The lack and poor state of the sporting facilities in Dominica is severely hampering the sports men and women from realising their fullest potential.
Dominica is the only independent country in the OECS without a proper track and field stadium. In most of the other member countries football and cricket can be played 24/7. They have the requisite lighting.
Most major sports are well organised and given the resources they need to elevate the standard of the particular discipline. Dominica, no such thing is in place. Just judging from the quality of the sporting facilities or lack thereof, it’s like living in primitive times.
Dominica languishes at the derriere position in economic, infrastructural, sporting and human development. The ruling regime, for the last twenty one years, has being dedicated to dumbing down the country and its people.
Sorry but I have to say it whether people like it or not. How are those boo-doom-boom I see in the photo going to last 30 minutes in a sport as competitive as soccer? Come on man, we may have to hurt some feelings but they need to go on a serious diet to take down all that excessive weight. Do you ever see fat, yes I say FAT people playing professional soccer? Come on coach and selection committee let the ladies know they MUST start dieting now or else its just another lost cause. I will keep watching closely because what I see on the field tells me we doh ready yet.
Why would the national football team need government permission for training. I’m sorry but this sounds ridiculous to me. How can they even hope to be successful if they can not train? You hear of any European premier league teams being subject to that? What next? Does the government want to
ban players who do not support the ruling party or follow a particular faith? Just make sure the players are Covid free, preferably vaccinated and provide an income for them while they represent our country.