Williams: Under-12 players going to compete

Cordell Williams, the coach of the three-member all-girls national under-12 tennis team heading to Guatemala, said his players will be very competitive at the ITF COTECC Under-12 Championships starting Sunday.
Speaking on the Good Morning Jojo Sports Show on Friday, Williams said his only concern was their ability to adapt quickly to the change in conditions.
“I spoke to the girls and I said to them that going to this tournament is the least to me. We are going to compete and even if we lose we are going there to compete and I am not going to lose; I am going for us to win. We get in [Guatemala] on Saturday, we have Sunday to practice and the tournament starts on Monday. I know it is a bit chilly so I am just hoping that the girls would be able to cope with the condition of the weather,” he said.
The Antigua & Barbuda Tennis Association (ABTA), on Thursday, named Sibley Charles, Brasha Dyer and Saamar Davis as the country’s representatives to the seven-team competition.
Apart from wanting to win the competition, Williams hopes the players will use the opportunity to improve both their singles and doubles game.
“It’s a next step towards getting them ready for the under-14 which will be the next stage of their development going forward. The under-12 tournament has come a long way because five years ago it was the Antigua & Barbuda Tennis Association that came up with this idea to start an under-12 development championships which we are happy to see now had moved forward and has moved from strength to strength,” the coach said.
The Antiguans will face challenges from the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, Haiti, Curacao, and hosts, Guatemala.