Trinidad and Tobago female football match commissioners Jenise Hinkson, Sharon O’Brian, Shari Beharry, Boni Bishop and Cassie Moore, along with referee Cecil Hinds, assistant referee Cindy Mohammed and referee assessor Linda Bramble-Thompson will all serve at the inaugural Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Women’s Caribbean Cup which kicks on Friday.
The tournament will feature 20 nations battling for spots in the eight-team final which Trinidad and Tobago will host from August 17-27. The preliminary round of the tournament begins on May 23 throughout the Caribbean.
Hinkson and O’Brian will serve in Group 1, hosted in Antigua & Antigua; Hinds, Mohammed and Bramble-Thompson in Group 2, hosted in Puerto Rico; and Bishop in Group 3, hosted in Turks & Caicos Islands—all three groups to be contested during May 23-27.
Beharry will serve Group 4, hosted in Haiti during May 30-June 3; and Moore in Group 5, hosted in the Dominican Republic during June 18-22.
“The opportunity is astonishing,” said 28-year-old Jenise Hinkson, a young and vibrant female match commissioner that serves the Trinidad and Tobago Pro League and Super League.
“History in the making (and) I think we are all delighted to be a part of that. I am elated, on a scale of 1 to 10...about 15,” added the mother of two kids, 5-year-old Jaheim and 2-year-old Jayne.
In their letters of appointment, CFU general secretary Damien E Hughes stated: “The CFU Women’s Caribbean Cup is another of our history-making initiatives that will no doubt, add to our already, very decorative chart. For this, we must be exceedingly proud. I must hasten to add that the entire CFU is unswervingly committed to the development, improvement and promotion of Women’s Football in our region.
The appointment letter added, “We are further encouraged by the fact that for this tournament, we are able to appoint a Match Official list comprising of only females. This is historic, as never before has an entire female tournament in CFU been officiated solely by competent women who are determined to fly the female football flag high.”
Hinkson and her T&T colleagues will join a long list of other female officials within CONCACAF that will serve during the CFU Women’s Caribbean Cup.