Hosts Jamaica will begin their defence of the gold and silver medals in the Under-19 male and female categories when the water polo battle kickstarts the 33rd staging of the Carifta Championships at the National Aquatic Centre in Kingston today.

Action is scheduled to begin at 9:30 am.

The three-day water polo competition will see full days of preliminary-round action today and tomorrow, followed by the medal games on Sunday.

With the Under-19 male and female teams gunning to repeat, and by extension better their podium finishes from The Bahamas last year, the event is expected to whet the appetites of aquatic fans two weeks ahead of the main attraction — the swimming championships.

After claiming three medals in The Bahamas last year, where the Under-19 male and female teams won gold and silver, respectively, complemented by a bronze medal from the Under-16 male team, there are high expectations for an even more solid medal haul.

Despite the absence of Trinidad and Tobago, the task at hand is by no means expected to be any easier for Jamaica’s teams and Lance Rochester, vice – president of Water Polo in the Aquatic Sports Association of Jamaica (ASAJ), is well aware of that.

“We know it is going to be tough, but it is also possible and so we are prepared to give off our best and once we keep put in the work then I’m positive we will get the desired results,” said Rochester.

Jamaica will face strong opposition from Curacao, The Bahamas and Barbados in the Under-14 mixed, the Under-16 male and the Under-19 male competitions, while Jamaica’s Under-19 female team will do battle with Barbados in a best-of-five series for the coveted gold medal.

The Under-16 team will be the first to bow into action against Curacao at 10:40 am, after the Bahamas and Barbados kick things off.

At 1:00 pm, the Under-14 mixed team will do battle against the Bahamas, followed by game one of the female duel at 2:10 pm.

The Under-16’s will then return at 3:20 pm for battle with Barbados, with game two in the Under-19 female duel set for 7:00 pm.

The big boys will then bring the curtains down on day one action against Barbados at approximately 8:10 pm.

ASAJ president Martin Lyn made an appeal to Jamaicans to come out and support the country’s young and upstanding Water Polo talents.

“We are again fielding some very strong teams and I am sure the other teams are coming to dethrone us. We are a little disappointed that Trinidad and Tobago decided not to come, but some other strong teams will be here and we intend to again show the Caribbean that we are not just strong in swimming but in water polo as well,” Lyn told the Jamaica Observer.

“And so, I really want to extend to all Jamaicans to come out and support your athletes as aquatic is second only to track and field in Jamaica in terms of major representation in the world.

“Here we are with a regional championship that will show case some of our athletes that eventually be going on to CAC Games, Commonwealth Games, Olympic Games and World Championships in years to come, so all of Jamaica needs to come out and see these youngsters in their infancy,” he continued.

Teams: Under-14 mixed — Andrew Thomas, Hunter Stanbury, Alexander Thomson, Nicholas Donaldson, Zachary Jackson-Blaine, Alexander Taylor, Gabrielle Jones, Bradley Barrett, Dante Richardson, Lauren Thomson, Aeryn Bernard, Kimberlee Foo.

Under-16 male — Dennis Rushton, Akil Williams, Darren-Neil Gordon, Bradley Spencer, Jordan Mitchell, Dylan McFarlane, Nicholas Donaldson, Hunter Stanbury, Alexander Thomson, Zachary Jackson-Blaine, Bradley Barrett, Alexander Taylor.

Under-19 female — Katherine Brown, Chenille Haughton, Dawnielle Lindsay, Jordanne Harrison, Kayla-Dawn Hernandez, Rachel Minto-Walker, Zaydia Davis, Aaliyah Jones, Jada Brown, Abigail Christie, Kaitlyn Gayle, Kelsey Gilfillian, Britney Francis.

Under-19 male — David Deslandes, Akil McDonald, Andrew Paul, Cajae Chung, Cody Jones, Joel Parnell, Julian Kennedy, Mathieu Davis, Matthew Sterling, Randy Fagan, Kywann Jagaroo, Matthew Irons, Darren-Neil Gordon.

— Sherdon Cowan