Bermuda’s senior netball squad depart for the Americas Federation of Netball Association’s Championships in Trinidad and Togabo today.Bermuda will be among the nine teams competing at the regional championships that also include Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad, Grenada, St Lucia, Guyana, USA and Canada.Jamaica, Barbados and hosts Trinidad are the tournament favourites.Despite Bermuda being in the international wilderness for some time, Bermuda Netball Association (BNA) president Tracey Sharrieff sees no reason why the Island’s players cannot enjoy their share of success in Trinidad.“We have been out of the senior mix for a while . . . but I don’t see why half of the teams can’t be beaten by us,” she said. “I believe we are sending the best of what Bermuda has to offer.“Over the past six months the girls have demonstrated commitment to a rigorous training regime with almost 100 percent participation. They are a very positive group that work well together and it is evident that they are playing the best netball they have ever played.”Bermuda coach and well-respected football referee Anthony Mouchette added: “We haven’t entered this tournament in a long time and we will be going up against the top guns. But even though Trinidad, Barbados and Jamaica are slightly out of our league we should be able to compete with the rest of the teams.”Included in Bermuda’s 12-member squad are promising youngsters Asante Chapman and Kajuna Lema who were promoted from the Island’s Under-16 national squad.BNA president Sharrieff is confident that Chapman, who was recently accepted at the South East England Regional Academy in the UK, and Lema can rise to meet the challenges which lay ahead in the Caribbean.“The youngsters are very much up to the task as they add a nice blend of energy and feist,” she said. “This will be a great experience for them.”Coach Mouchette added: “Asanta and Kajuna have been promoted from the Under-16s and have now been sufficient enough to make the national team.“From the previous exposure they got from the Under-16s internationally they know what’s expected of them, so they can hold their own.”Bermuda’s squad also contains prolific scorer Danielle Raynor, solid defenders Karen Jones-Simmons and Chaquita Simmons as well as the versatile Ebonie Burgess and Marissa Wainwright.“We have a good mixture of youth and experience in the squad,” Mouchette added.The squad were played against a visiting Royal Navy Marines in a Americas Federation of Netball Association’s Championships warm-up match earlier this week.Sharrieff said hoped to see Bermuda represented in more international tournaments in the future.“It would be really great if Bermuda could be represented at every annual tournament because the talent at junior and senior level here is awesome,” she said. “Support from sponsors and fundraising paved much of the way for this tour and Government has also demonstrated faith in our programme. The cost for attending a tournament can run anywhere between $30,000 to $35,000.”Bermuda squad: Karen (Jones) Simmons (capt), Marissa Wainwright (v-capt), Karlandra Smith, Jamila Godwin, Danielle Raynor, Ebonie Burgess, Kimale Evans, Asante Chapman, Jadirra Harvey, Kajuna Lema, Chaquita Simmons, Arkeita Fubler, Anthony Mouchette (coach), Jene Charles (assistant coach).