June 18, 2007
Donovan Duckie, coach of promoted
National Premier League team St. George's FC, says he will be
using the Reggae Boyz Asian tour as a learning experience.
Duckie was named assistant to
Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic for a four-nation tour of Asia and the
Middle East where they will play Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and
Iran between June 21 and July 2. The Reggae Boyz, made up of only
local players, are scheduled to leave this afternoon and return on
July 4. The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) says the friendly
games are geared towards preparation for the 2010 World Cup
qualifiers, while the four opponents are preparing for the Asian
Federation Cup next month.
This will be the second time
Duckie will be working with Bora as he was once assistant to David
Hunt on the national Under-17 team, which Bora also worked with.
Duckie said he is pleased to be working with Bora again and with
the senior team for the first time.
"I learnt a lot from Bora the
first time and I know this will be invaluable experience," Duckie
told Star Sports. "The stage is also important to me. I'll be
working with the senior team for the first time and it will be an
international tour, so there will be so much to learn and I'm
definitely looking forward to it."
Duckie added: "It will also do a
lot for my confidence. I'm looking to get tactically better and
understand the game better. In the future, if I'm called on again,
I can contribute to the development of the national team."
Duckie also said the experience
would help his approach with his club which, along with Sporting
Central, qualified for the 2007-08 Wray and Nephew National
Premier League that should start in September. Duckie will not be
the only one from St. George's benefiting from the two-week tour
as striker Donovan Davis is one of 20 players named in the squad.
The rest of the team includes
Richard McCallum, Fabian Taylor, Allien Whittaker, Richard
Edwards, Dwayne Miller, Donald Stewart, Nicholy Finlayson, Lovel
Palmer, Mario Harrison, Christopher Harvey, Jermaine Taylor, Wolry
Wolfe, Mario Swaby, Fabian Davis, Rodolph Austin, Keneil Moodie,
Adrian Reid and Xavian Virgo. Seba United's manager Orville Powell
will head the delegation, which also includes JFF president
Crenston Boxhill, masseur Pablo Camargo, team doctor Dr. Mark
Sanderson and Michael Blair, tour manager.
|
