U14 girls nationals off to Beijing

The CNMI U14 Girls National Team left Saipan early yesterday morning to compete in the AFC U14 Girls Regional Championships (East) 2015 in Beijing, China.

The CNMI U14 Girls National Team players and officials pose for a photo during a send-off ceremony at the lobby of Kanoa Resort last Saturday. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The squad is composed of goalies Katherine Magat and Toremy Diaz, Katrina Costales, Anela Duenas, Samantha Manacop, Jasmin Phan, Angela, Leisha, and Lyka Sally, Erica Santiago, Jobelle Tabuena, Kyla Tuazon, Angelina Villagomez, Grace Choi, Jerlyn Castillo, Francesca Bucalig, Guinevere Borja, and Princess Alcantara. Joining the group in Beijing are team manager Angie Ito, Northern Mariana Islands Football Association technical director Kiyoshi Sekiguchi, delegation head Luam Khen Koo, coach Chi Ming Tang, assistant Shuk Fan Wong, and physiotherapist Pamela Carhill.

A send-off ceremony was held for the CNMI delegation last Saturday at the lobby of Kanoa Resort with no less than NMIFA president Jerry Tan leading the well-wishers of the squad.

“Be good ambassadors of the CNMI. Remember, you are not there for yourselves, but for your team and the CNMI. Enjoy and have fun, but at the same time think of your responsibility as representatives of the island. Behave well on and off the pitch because your behavior plays an important factor in AFC’s decision whether to invite us again for similar competitions. It’s up to you whether future players will have the same opportunity as yours,” said Tan, who were joined in the send-off ceremony by NMIFA vice president Vickie Izuka, NMIFA Youth Committee official Joseph Villagomez, various club officials, former CNMI youth team members, and the players’ parents.

In the AFC event that will run from May 19 to 24, the Commonwealth youth players will be up against host China, North Korea, and Hong Kong in Group B. Japan, Chinese-Taipei, Guam, and South Korea are in Group A. The CNMI bets will face China and Korea in their first two games on Tuesday and Wednesday before closing out against Hong Kong this Thursday.

“The first two matches will be very difficult so we will be focusing on defense. China and North Korea are tough teams, so our goal is to minimize their scoring to at least single digit. We lost to China the last time at 9-0 and we hope to perform better this time. Realistically, we have a good chance against Hong Kong and we are aiming for a win or a draw,” Ito said.

Ito added they are hoping that the long preparation they had and the significant improvement they saw from the players will be enough to help the squad put on a good showing in the AFC competition.

“We started training in October and since then our players have shown big improvements. Our veteran players have improved their individual skills and at the same time have shown better chemistry. The newcomers have picked up new skills and continued to play well and keep up with the veterans as our preparation progressed,” the team manager added.

Sekiguchi, who watched the squad train four times a week, pointed out to the team’s speed and well-conditioning as key factors in their campaign in Beijing.”

“They definitely can match up against their opponents as far as speed is concerned. I hope they will use that during the game and also apply the techniques and tactics they learned from their training sessions,” the NMIFA technical director said.

Lyka Sally, the team captain, vowed they will do their best to represent the CNMI well.

“We will go all out to produce the best possible results and make the CNMI proud,” she said.

Meanwhile, Tan thanked the parents and the officials of the clubs represented on the CNMI squad and the Chelsea FC Soccer School (Hong Kong). He said that training the CNMI youth players for the regional championship will not be possible without the support and encouragement of their parents and club officials and the technical assistance given by Chelsea FC staff.