The 2009 IFAF Junior World Championship will feature the world's eight best high school-aged (19 and under) national teams from four continents. Games will be played at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio, home of the NFL's annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, from June 27 to July 5 in 2009.
The Bahamas' visit to take on Panama's junior national team will be the country's first venture into international competition since becoming a member of Pan-American Federation of American Football (PAFAF) in May 2008 and IFAF in July 2008. The winner will travel to play Mexico on Saturday, Feb. 14, in Mexico City for the right to join the eight-team field in Canton as the third Pan-American representative alongside the United States and Canada.
Team Bahamas has now filled 50 spots for a potential 75-man roster, 45 of which will travel to Panama. BAFF continued to choose the majority of its athletes from Freeport, selecting only four athletes outside of the city. Bahamas-born running back Gary King will travel from Miami, Fla., where he currently resides, to represent his nation. The other cities represented are Abaco, Lucaya, and Holmes Rock.
BYFL (Bahamas Youth Football League) Commissioner LaLisa Anthony said: "We will continue to make announcements to complete the Team Bahamas national team roster, which will officially be presented during halftime of the 2009 BYFL championship game between Pineridge Spartans and High Rock Steelers on Friday, Dec. 12 at the G.B. Sports Complex."
Four other nations, in addition to the United States and Canada, have already qualified for the 2009 IFAF Junior World Championship. Three representatives from Europe - Germany, Sweden and France - earned spots as they claimed the three highest places at the 2008 European Junior Championship held in Spain in July. Japan will represent Asia while the Bahamas/Panama/Mexico series of games and a qualifying clash between Australia and New Zealand on Jan. 24, 2009, in the Australian capital Canberra, will decide the final two spots.
Team Bahamas roster additions:
Name | Position | Club Team | Hometown |
Alderio Grant | WR / TE | Spartans | Freeport |
Robert Tinker | OL | Sharks | Freeport |
Jephthae Cooper | OL | Bulldogs | Freeport |
Marcus Holbert | TE | Sharks | Freeport |
Xavier Stuart | WR | Steelers | Freeport |
Lawrence Mesidor | OL | Bulldogs | Freeport |
Ashton Albury | FB | Bulldogs | Freeport |
Gary King | RB | none | Miami, FL |
Julien Zephy | QB | Spartans | Freeport |
Petrano Russell | WR | Blue Jays | Holmes Rock |
Simeon Anderson | CB | Bulldogs | Freeport |
Eddie Russell | LB | Fire | Freeport |
Steffon Maycock | LB | Bulldogs | Freeport |
Pino Hall | CB | Sharks | Freeport |
Gavin Knowles | TE | None | Abaco |
Don Albury | LB | Blue Jays | Freeport |
Di Sjorn Roberts | CB | Bulldogs | Freeport |
Alexander Sweeting | CB | Sharks | Freeport |
Ashley Adderley | LB | Warhawks | Freeport |
Codero Mitchell | FB | Spartans | Freeport |
Gary Tomlinson | DL | Bulldogs | Freeport |
Ricardo Saville | CB | Steelers | Freeport |
King Charlton | CB | Spartans | Freeport |
Bryton Taylor | CB / WR | Steelers | Freeport |
Jerome Poitier | CB | Warhawks | Freeport |
About IFAF
The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) unites more than 50 countries on five continents through a burgeoning international sport. With national football federations in existence for more than 70 years, IFAF was created in 1998 to organize and further develop the game through international cooperation and global competition. Having conducted Senior World Championships (players aged 20 and older) since 1999 in Europe and Asia, Summer 2009 in Canton, Ohio, represents the first IFAF Junior World Championship (19 years and younger). The IFAF office is located near Paris, France. For more, visit www.ifaf.info.
About USA Football
USA Football, the sport's national governing body on youth and amateur levels, hosts more than 100 football training events annually offering education for coaches and game officials, skill development for players and resources for youth football league commissioners. The independent non-profit manages U.S. national teams within the sport for international competitions and has provided more than $1.5 million in equipment grants and volunteer background check subsidies for youth football leagues since 2006. USA Football was started by the NFL and NFLPA in 2002 through the NFL Youth Football Fund and is chaired by former U.S. Congressman and professional quarterback Jack Kemp.