This series “SPORTLIGHT” is brought to you courtesy Health Net Caribbean Ltd (hncl.co.tt). In this installment we feature one of the outstanding junior sports personalities of 2017, nominees at the upcoming First Citizens annual sports awards function.
Judah Garcia, proudly wears, perfectly one might say, number 10 on his Shiva Boys football uniform as he seeks to emulate the steps of his brothers Nathaniel and Levi onto the National Senior team hopefully in the too distant future.
The sign of top class players is often found in how they respond in times of adversity. Where most teenagers would understandably seek shelter and comfort in times of strife, Judah Garcia chose to come to the fore, displaying a maturity beyond his years.
Shiva Boys travails in the most recent Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) season have been well documented. Demoted to the second division of the league, team captain Judah offered a consistency throughout a trying campaign. His sublime skills, vision, and knack for scoring crucial goals were at the heart of the Shiva Boys exciting Intercol run all the way to the glory as they captured a maiden Intercol Title in 2017.
The challenge for the 17 year old National Team standout will be to continually highlight why many consider the Shiva Boys playmaking adorning the number 10 shirt as the most radiant of the rising stars in Trinidad and Tobago's youth leagues. Garcia's 2016 training stint at a camp in Manchester England would have sensitized his pallet to the taste of the European experience and increased his desire for success.