Sabbatus Hunte longed for the freedom to play sports to the fullest. Growing up in Dennery where the passion for sports was fierce and intense, he was infused with a competitive zeal.
Though he initially started playing cricket at the junior level, it was soccer that helped widen his horizons. Along the way he was fortunate to attain professional qualifications in physical education and sports development, while maintaining his prowess as a tough and wily footballer.
He has played with the Dennery team for the past 10 years, serving as captain. Known to his fans as ‘The General’ in defense, his energy is relentless and he has a steely grip on the game.
Sabbatus is a Manchester United fan and his idol is Rio Ferdinand. He admires Fernandez’s defensive skills and tries to emulate them to further enhance his own talents.
His yearns to develop the sport at the ‘grass-roots’ level and wants to be a role model for the youths. Presently. He’s a teacher at the Grand Riviere Secondary school.
Sabbatus took Dazzle on a journey into his development as a footballer.
Dazzle: Describe your boyhood days and what kind of sports do you engage in?
Sabbatus: I grew up in Dennery where the people are sports-inclined and many of them play basketball and football. All of my elder brothers were into football, but I was into cricket. I was that good at cricket to make it to the National Under-15 trials, but when my mom found out that I had been going to cricket training instead of lessons she figured she would discipline me by pulling me out of the trials.
My brothers and I normally played two-on-two, small goals football in the backyard and continued to play all though the community. My brothers played for Dennery, through the youth level up to the senior level. Sports was everywhere.
At first, I thought that I would stick with cricket but seeing the competition among my brothers drove me to take up football. I wanted to be even better than them. I began playing at the competitive level with a team called 18-Plus from Dennery on a trial run. The coach commended me for my performance and it felt good.
Dazzle: You got attracted to soccer and what then was your plan to move on?
Sabbatus: I attended St. Mary’s College (SMC) at school and my cricket background was as a wicket- keeper, so initially the guys had me playing soccer as a goal-keeper. I kept goal for a couple years and then started as a left back with another club called Seria, and then our coach, former national player Valentius Joseph was called up as coach of the Dennery senior team. I never got to play with the Dennery junior team because the coach drafted me into training with the senior squad …and that very same year in 2012 I made the Dennery team to compete in the Blackheart Football competition. That was my first Blackheart experience and though I was on the bench I savoured the moment as a member of the Dennery team.
Dazzle: There had been much hype and buzz about the prowess of the Dennery team, so what were the expectations like for you getting into the team?
Sabbatus: I was a little rough around the edges when I joined the team but the coach always told me his saw some natural talent and I should stick with it despite some criticisms. There were lots of experienced players on the Dennery team like Levi Gilbert, Mugabe Polius and some exciting young players like my brother Hiram Hunte, and Nyhim Gilbert. The older players embraced the youngsters and they gave us a chance and so we grew up under those guys who were very competitive. They had a fighting spirit and did not want to lose. So that cultivated a kind of pride within me, and every time I wore that Dennery jersey and went out to play I gave it my all.
The very next year at the Blackheart Football competition , Mugabe got injured and coach Valentius threw me in there and told me to just go out there cause you know how to handle yourself. So I went in there and we went through the quarter-finals to the semi-finals. That was my first taste of competing in Blackheart Football and I never looked back from there. We lost in the finals to a visiting Guyana team; but the following year we defeated Mabouya Valley 2-1 at the finals for my first taste of Blackheart Football championship victory. The next year we also won the Blackheart Football trophy for back-to-back titles but missed out on the three-peat, when we lost to Micoud 2-1 in quarter-final action at the George Odlum Stadium.
Dazzle: How do you rate the development of the Dennery team?
Sabbatus: There are some top quality players in the squad and the relationship with fans from the community is phenomenal. In the years between 2009 to now there was a transition where most of these experienced players went out and fresh blood came into the team. So it took us a while to get back to the level where we expect to be; but last year we made it to the Blackheart finals where we lost to Micoud. We have a young team with an average age of 25 years that is talented and most of the players are looking for great things, not only for Dennery, but for Saint Lucia and the regional and international level…
Dazzle: How much of an input has the game of soccer played in your overall developmental career?
Sabbatus: I got a call to the National Under-23 squad in 2007, but while participating at the Youth World Cup Qualifier in St Vincent I got a call about a scholarship opportunity in Cuba. I took the opportunity because it was about choosing the scholarship opportunity in Cuba and a developmental contract playing semi- professional soccer in Trinidad. Basically, that put me out of the national set up for six years, because I spent six years studying in Cuba.
I graduated with a degree in Physical education and Sports Science. The Cuba experience was a good learning experience for me and I studied at an International School with students from 84 countries around the world. With the mix of cultures coming together under one roof it taught me a lot in terms of respecting other people’s beliefs and the way of going about things. I learnt a lot and it taught me to be very patient …but being way from family it propelled me to go after things and to make things happen for you. I am currently a teacher at the Grand Riviere Secondary School for the third year; teaching Spanish, Physical Education and Sports.
After returning to Saint Lucia, the national coach Francis “Baba” Lastic called me up for training session and I made the squad to Dominica where we played two friendlies.
From there I have been a regular on the National team and we have been to World Cup Qualifiers, CFU competition and competed in the Windward Islands championship.
Dazzle: What is your futuristic goal in terms of sports development?
Sabbatus: Luckily, I have been able to balance out my time between playing football and work. I am fortunate to work under some understanding school principals and whenever the need arises for me to be excused for training and to represent my country I have never been denied that time. I feel there should be a holistic approach to the development of sports on island as well as personal development and I would like to get involved in helping youngsters develop into full-fledged players.
