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Trinidad and Tobago’s ‘Calypso Girls’ Shantel Seemugal was named the ‘Best Midcourt’ when the eight-team Netball World Cup Sydney 2027 Americas Qualifiers ended at the Sir Garfield Sobers Sports Complex, Bridgetown, St Michael, Barbados, on Monday night.
Seemungal featured in all seven matches played by the Liselle Johnson-coached ‘Calypso Girls’, who ended with a perfect record of seven wins from as many matches for a maximum of 21 points to secure one of the two qualification spots available to next year’s Netball World in Sydney, Australia, for their 16th qualification in 17 tournament editions.
The other team from the Americas Netball Qualifiers heading to Australia is runner-up St Vincent and The Grenadines, who ended with a 6-1 record and 18 points to secure their first World Cup ticket since 1995, with their other previous appearance being in 1979.
The duo join hosts, Australia; Commonwealth Games gold medalists, New Zealand; and runners-up, Jamaica, England, South Africa, Uganda, Tonga, Samoa, Malawi, Namibia, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Singapore, Hong Kong, and China as participants at next year’s tournament.
During the round-robin qualifiers, the world 12th-ranked ‘Calypso Girls’ registered wins over Grenada (61-45), St Vincent and the Grenadines (73-41), the USA (43-39), Canada (61-32), St Lucia (62-35), the British Virgin Islands (106-17) and host Barbados (60-51) to follow up on the recent gold medal triumph at the July/August held Central American and Caribbean (CA) Games, which were held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, beating Jamaica in the final.
Among the other award winners were USA’s Zalika Clarke, ‘Best Defence’, and St Vincent and The Grenadines’ Mary-Ann Frederick, who was named as the ‘Most Valuable Player’. as well as the ‘Best Shooting Average’, 95.25 per cent with 341 goals from 358 attempts in seven matches, just ahead T&T’s Maikea Brambe, who tallied 231 goals from 245 attempts at 94.29 per cent from six matches.
Vincy Jewels end 23-year drought with dramatic overtime win
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados — St. Vincent and the Grenadines are heading back to the Netball World Cup after 23 years, and they did it the hard way.
In a veritable 47th independence anniversary gift to the nation Monday night, the Vincy Jewels secured their place at next year’s World Cup in Sydney, Australia, with a dramatic 55-53 overtime victory over St. Lucia in Barbados on Sunday.
The Vincy Jewels took the second available qualifying spot after a tense battle in which they were pushed through the first three quarters.
St. Lucia led 11-10 after the first quarter, but SVG fought back to lead 24-22 at half-time and 36-33 after three quarters.
However, the Piton Sparks took advantage of a lapse in the Jewels’ concentration to tie the game at 45 and force overtime.
After two seven-minute overtime periods, St. Vincent and the Grenadines prevailed 55-53 to seal qualification.
SVG finished the qualifying campaign with 18 points from seven games, winning six and losing one. St. Lucia ended on six points from their seven matches, with two wins and five losses.
Trinidad and Tobago, the other qualifier, completed the round unbeaten with a 60-51 victory over Barbados.
The Calypso Girls topped the table with a maximum 21 points from seven games. Barbados finished fourth with 12 points, winning four and losing three.
Earlier, the USA defeated the BVI 80-06 to end their campaign in third place on 15 points from five wins and two losses. The BVI lost all seven matches and finished at the bottom of the standings on zero points.
Canada closed their 2026 qualifying campaign in fifth place with a 42-40 defeat of Grenada in their seventh match.
The Canadians ended with three wins and four losses for nine points, while Grenada had three points from one win in seven games.
For St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the qualification ends a long absence from netball’s biggest stage.
SVG made their Netball World Cup Final debut at the 1979 World Netball Championships in Trinidad and Tobago.
In 1995, the Vincentians achieved their highest-ever World Cup finish of 10th place in England, and they finished 13th at the 2003 World Netball Championships in Jamaica. That was followed by a 23-year drought until Monday night’s historic finish.
Adding to the sweetness of qualification, Vincy Jewels goal-shooter Mary-Ann Frederick was judged the Most Accurate Goal-shooter with 95.25% shooting accuracy.
Frederick scored 341 goals from 358 attempts and was also named the tournament’s most valuable player.
(CMC)
Final standings
TeamsP W D L GF GA GD Pts
1. T&T *7 *7* 0* 0* 466* 259* 207 *21
2. SVG *7* 6 *0* 1 *414 *323* 91* 18
3. USA* 7* 5* 0* 2* 372 *247* 125* 15
4. Barbados *7* 4* 0* 3 *380* 287* 93* 12
5. Canada* 7* 3* 0* 4* 287* 300* -13* 9
6. St Lucia*7* 2* 0* 5 *312* 283* 29* 6
7. Grenada* 7* 1* 0* 6* 309* 390* -81* 3
8. BVI* 7* 0* 0* 7 *107* 558* -451* 0
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