Men’s netball on the rise, says coach Murdock

Shawn Murdock, head coach of the Jamaica men’s netball team, says the sport is seeing tremendous growth in the region following Jamaica’s victory at the 2024 Americas Netball Men’s Regional Championships.

The Jamaica Suns defended their regional title as they went undefeated at the championships which was held in Basseterre, St Kitts & Nevis, September 12-18.

Jamaica won all seven of their games, which impressed Murdock as he explained the team was not able to fully prepare for the competition as he had initially wanted.

“I’m feeling really proud,” he said. “The preparation was not what we wanted in terms of our ability to coach the team on a regular basis leading up, but we are happy with how the players performed under the conditions.

“We carried 12 players who we thought made us a strong and well-balanced team. So, as coaches, we were very confident in the abilities of the players and we were happy with how the team performed.”

Murdock believes the continued success by the Suns is a sign of the growth of the men’s game in Jamaica, and believes it can lay the groundwork for further development for the future.

ATTRACTING NEW SUPPORTERS

He also said the sport is beginning to attract new supporters, as more teams are getting involved, as well as more fans are attending games on a consistent basis.

As the sport develops, Murdock believes it will not be long before men’s netball gains international attention and is included in international competitions as well.

“We’ve been playing men’s netball in Jamaica for more than three decades. Of course, there has been some recognition and I feel like the sport is growing. I look at the tournament and it was amazing to see that there were eight teams participating,” he explained.

“Hopefully our time will come soon and there is a push for the sport to be in the Olympics. So, we’re hoping that the Commonwealth Games and the Pan American Games will join forces after seeing the performances of the men recently. The sport, as I said, has been known for a while and continues to grow.”

Murdock said the Suns have gone a far way in proving themselves against international competitors, having beaten South Africa and England men’s netball team over the past few years.

He hopes to soon take on global giants Australia and New Zealand, who he said will be a true test of Jamaica’s quality in men’s netball.

He also sought to thank the various sponsors who funded Jamaica’s campaign at the regional championships, as it is often a struggle to secure funds for men’s netball.

“I want to give some credit to the people who helped us to make it a success and, in particular, InterCaribbean Airways. Without their support, they came on as a sponsor for the team, we probably would not be having this conversation,” he said.

“Of course, it is a struggle to raise funds for netball in general, and it is two times as hard for men’s netball. So, we want to say thanks to the support of InterCaribbean Airways, as well as the government through the Sports Development Foundation. We really are grateful to these partners and sponsors.”