Captain Venecia Reid (left) and other members of the Reggae Girlz squad at the Norman Manley Airport yesterday, shortly before they departed for the Pan American Games in Brazil. -Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

Robert Bailey, Freelance Writer

Jamaica's Reggae Girlz left the island yesterday for Rio De Janeiro, Brazil where they will be participating in this year's Pan American Games, which will run from July 13 to 29.

The Girlz are the first of Jamaica's 161-member contingent to leave for the Games where the island will compete in 10 disciplines - athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, cycling, equestrian, football (male and female), swimming, taekwondo and tennis.

Jamaica's female footballers who will be competing at the Pan Am Games for the first time, have been drawn in a five-team group which includes Brazil, Canada, Ecuador and Uruguay. The second group has Argentina, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay and the United States of America (USA).

Charles Edwards who will be making his first overseas trip as head coach after he took over from Vin Blaine earlier this year, said he is very confident that the team will do well.

"I am expecting some good performances, however, I am not sure how confident the players are, but they seem very happy with each other, and I am sure that this will carry us a far way in this tournament," said Edwards who is also the coach of Barbican's female team.

"I think that this is more or less a chance for an assessment to see where we are and then we will launch off the programme from here," Edwards said.

Jamaica's last competitive tournament was in last year's CONCACAF Gold Cup in the USA where they finished in fourth place.

Putting out the best

"The preparation was just over a short period of time, but I think that the girls responded pretty well and I very happy with the response that I have gotten and all I have to do now is to just put my best foot forward with them and hopefully they will give us the maximum when we get there," Edwards said.

Edwards added: "This team is not a bad one however, we are short in some areas. Because some of our central defenders were not able to make it, our back line is pretty much a make shift back line, but the girls are up for the challenge and I believe that they will perform well."

The squad is: Tashana Vincent, Paula Jackson, Peatria Campbell, Diana Hue, Sheree Clarke, Tanesha Vassell, Venecia Reid, Nicola Bell, Iesha Mowatt, Audia Sullivan, Julie Fearon, Sasheena Stewart, Yanique Goldspring, Omolyn Davis, Jodi-ann McGregor, Hisshamar Falconer, Christina Murray and Mitsy Facey.