Bermuda’s netball team will make their debut at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, when they face Barbados this afternoon (3pm Bermuda time).

It will be a long week for the Longtails as they also clash with Jamaica on Tuesday, St Lucia the next day and Trinidad & Tobago on Thursday before they conclude their single round robin against the host nation on Friday.

At the end of the matches on Friday, the top three teams will be presented with their medals.

Debré Evans, the Bermuda captain, declared that they were ready for whatever challenges may face them in their maiden appearance at the Games.

“I would say the team is definitely prepared to face this new challenge and competition,” Evans told The Royal Gazette.

“This is the first time for us to compete at the CAC Games, so we’re making history just by qualifying for such a prestigious event.

“The mood of the camp is very uplifting and supportive and we all have each other's backs from the players to the coaching staff ― it’s the closest the group has ever been.

“We’re all really excited for this test to see how we will make out. Barbados is a nice opening for us to dip ourselves in the water before the huge competition of Jamaica the very next day.

“We’re all physically ready, especially after playing two matches a day at the last tournament. The key to pushing through is prioritising recovery and keeping our bodies in the best shape.”

Most of the Bermuda teams at the Games have bemoaned playing in soaring temperatures in the Dominican Republic capital city.

“It’s extremely hot in Santo Domingo, so hydration is going to be very important in our recovery and preparation,” the captain said.

“The round-robin tournament will help us out as every team is playing the same amount of games, so we just need to make each 15-minute quarter count because any mistake can cost us.

“The mental aspect of the game is probably the most challenging, that’s why as a group we have been even more supportive of each other because we’re only as strong as our weakest link.

“I’m not talking about technical or physical skills. Mental strength plays a huge part in staying in the game because the mind is stronger than the body.”

From the team that did well at the Battle of the Isles in Sint Maarten and Sint Eustatius, Zakiyah Durham, Khianda Stephens (née Pearman-Watson), Demiqua Daniels and Terita Bean are not part of the squad. Their spots were taken by Brianna Ray, Jordyn Ming, Asante Chapman and Jasmyn Renfroe.

“We have four new additions to the squad,” Evans said.

“Brianna Ray, Jasmyn Renfroe and Jordyn Ming and Asante Chapman are all phenomenal players. They all bring something to the game and to our game.

“I am so excited to take on this new competition with them and my other team-mates, we’re all just living in the moment and trying to enjoy ourselves as well as push ourselves.

“We’ve been tasked to leave it all on the court and continue to make history and I definitely see more history in our future.”

Bermuda’s clash with Jamaica, the fourth-best team in the world, promises to be a big test for Kimale Evans’s side.

The Jamaicans, who stunned world No 1 Australia on Saturday before losing 56-48 to New Zealand in the Commonwealth Games final on Sunday, will not be fielding their strongest team as they seek to defend the title they won in 2023, but Evans is bracing for a tough battle.

“I’m nervous about facing Jamaica, but in a good way,” the Bermuda captain said.

“Nerves are good and they remind us we are human as coach says. Jamaica are a top team for a reason, so even if they aren’t bringing their top players due to the Commonwealth Games, it doesn’t mean we will face the game any differently.”

Meanwhile, the women’s hockey team conclude their participation at the Games with a seventh-place play-off against Jamaica. It will be a repeat of the meeting between the two sides in group B, an encounter the Bermudians won 1-0 on Tuesday.

Bermuda coach Kovin Moodley is hoping for a better finish than they achieved four years ago.

“Obviously, trying to win the final game is the team’s target,” Moodley said.

“We’ve played Jamaica already and I think we weren’t playing our best hockey, but still managed to get a result in the pool stages.

“We’re just hoping for us to be a little bit more connected as a group, more structured, tactically sound and I think the girls will be able to get another good result.

“I think it’s more about recovering the bodies as much as possible. It’s not easy to play five high-level hockey games every second day, so recovery is super important.

“I think we competed in a lot of the games. The Cuba game was a little bit different against the strong team, but in every other game, we’ve had quite a lot of competition and maybe just fallen short on conversion.

“But the recovery of the girls in every game has been good. So we’re hoping to try to make sure that this happens in the last one.

“Their bodies are as fresh as possible given that it’s the last game of the tournament. All we’re trying to do is represent Bermuda the best way and convert chances that maybe we haven’t been doing so far.”