Jamaican teams take aim at Florida United title

JAMAICA’s POLICE National Netball Team (PNNT) and their Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) counterparts are among 11 teams entered in the all-female division of this weekend’s inaugural Florida United Netball (FUN) Extravaganza at the Vernon E. Hargray Youth Enrichment Center in Miramar, Florida.

In addition to enlisted personnel, PNNT includes civilians pulled from police youth clubs. The JCF team comprises enlisted personnel of all ranks, regulars and district constables.

Both teams fancy their chances of being among the winners at FUN, described by PNNT coach Joan Benjamin as being more dynamic than the traditional Florida Netball Senior Classic (FNSC) set for next weekend at the same venue.

“As winners of the 2025 Netball Jamaica Intermediate A League, the Police National Netball Team has a good chance of lifting a trophy at the inaugural staging of the Florida United Netball Extravaganza, which has three divisions,” Benjamin pointed out.

“At the Florida Netball Senior Classic, there are teams stacked with Jamaican national players, past and present, including business house teams, making it very hard for other teams to win one of three medals. Some teams even have Jamaican national players sitting on their benches,” added Benjamin, who is also league director of Netball Jamaica.

“At this tournament, teams are split into three divisions after first day’s play, the preliminary round. On the second day, they compete for first to third in either the Championship, Gold or Robert Whyte divisions,” which is named in honour of a former coach and umpire,” Benjamin pointed out.

Teams were set to be drawn for the preliminary round yesterday evening for action to start at 9 a.m. today.

PNNT will again be depending on goal shoot Marcella Thompson after making it to the quarter-finals of last year’s FNSC on the back of her goals.

Thompson, 55, who scored all 23 goals in Police Nationals’ three first-round games at FNSC last year, should have been joined by other shooters at FUN but PNNT were hit by visa refusals at the American embassy.

“We sent four shooters to the embassy and none got through,” said Benjamin. “It will be tough on Marcella in a two-day rally. However, I know they will put their all into it.”

PNNT were similarly short of their best players at last year’s FNSC, hobbled by visa refusals.

Assistant team manager, Sergeant Julaine Richards of the Community Safety and Security Branch, pointed out then that players who represent the security forces are highly unlikely to abscond while on tour.

“The United States Embassy knows the credibility of the police teams. We don’t have a history of people running off. Whenever civilians join this team, there are certain protocols we maintain. We not only train them to play netball, we do our checks and balances. We have a structure in place,” Richards emphasised.