3 weeks ago
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WITH SEVERAL key competitions set to take place across the next calendar year for both the senior and junior national teams, Netball Jamaica (NJ) president Karen Baugh says the sport is “alive and well”.
The Sunshine Girls will face an active schedule of games for the next few months with the World Netball Youth Cup, Vitality Netball Horizon Series, and the 2026 Commonwealth Games all closing in.
The U21 Sunshine Girls will be the first team in action as they continue final preparations for the World Youth Cup set to be held in Gibraltar in September.
The senior team will then dive into the second edition of the Vitality Horizon Series against England in December.
The series is a prelude the Sunshine Girls’ 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July next year.
Baugh called it an exciting time for Netball Jamaica, even as the organisation’s blue riband event, the Red Stripe Flavours Elite Netball League coming to its conclusion last weekend.
“As you can see, netball is very much alive and well in Jamaica,” the association president declared.
“There is a lot going on here. We just completed our Elite League on Sunday night, we’re here [Tuesday] accepting this great contribution for our team to get to the U21 World Cup and we have the Horizon series coming up in December.”
Baugh, who was elected to office earlier in July, has called on the support for the national teams, particularly ahead of the Horizon series.
The four-game series will see Jamaica take on England in two home matches at the National Indoor Sports Centre (NISC) on December 6 and 7, before travelling to England for the final two games at the Copper Box Arena in London on December 13 and 14.
“With two matches in Jamaica and two matches in England, and if anyone remembered the last series, then they know it will be a lot excitement and great netball in the National Indoor Sports Centre,” Baugh said.
“So we’re expecting everybody who can fit in the Indoor Sports Centre to come out and be there and support the team.”
Annette Daley, head coach of the under-21 Sunshine Girls, is also excited for the upcoming months, with her main priority being the World Youth Cup.
Jamaica have been drawn in Pool C alongside England, Tonga, Wales, and Sri Lanka and will open their campaign on September 21 against Tonga at the Europa Sports Complex.
Daley said she is confident of a good showing from her charges at the global age-group competition and said, in a few years, several of these players will be pushing for a place in the senior programme.
“Succession planning is always important for any programme,” she said.
“Netball Jamaica will have to work hard at ensuring that the junior programmes are up and running. So it is very important that the girls can take part in a World Cup and then to make themselves available for senior championships.”
With the senior Netball World Cup set to change to a two-year cycle after 2027, Daley said it is important for NJ to continue to produce top talents as they will need depth to ensure they can keep up with the global powerhouses.
“World Cups are now moving for the seniors to two years. So that means that the squad numbers will have to increase, so it is important that we build from the grassroots so going to the under-21 World Cup is just one of the steps for us to achieve that.”
English (US) ·