Netball shooting for spot at 2032 Olympics
Published:Tuesday | August 17, 2021 | 12:06 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
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WORLD NETBALL and Netball Australia have intensified their efforts to have netball included at the Olympic Games. They are targeting the 2032 Games, which has been awarded to the city of Brisbane, Australia. Netball Jamaica President Tricia...
WORLD NETBALL and Netball Australia have intensified their efforts to have netball included at the Olympic Games. They are targeting the 2032 Games, which has been awarded to the city of Brisbane, Australia.
Netball Jamaica President Tricia Robinson said they are excited about the latest developments and that netball at the quadrennial Games is long overdue.
However, Jamaica Olympic Association President Christopher Samuda said although the sport arguably deserves inclusion at the Olympics, having an entertainment and commercial appeal bodes well for the sport’s admission.
Nevertheless, Robinson said the sports’ national associations are looking forward to netball being played at the Olympics.
“I am really excited about it and really looking for it to happen. We expect the Games to come through, and having netball at the Olympics would be great,” she said.
With Jamaica also being one of the top-ranked netball countries, this would put the country in a strong position to take home another possible medal.
“This would definitely give Jamaica a possible medal. World Netball is seeking approval and the member countries are keen on participating, and are really looking for it to happen. We are having the conversation, and there is no doubt it will be included,” she said.
Meanwhile, Samuda believes netball has arguably earned the right to be admitted as an Olympic sport and that his administration will continue to advocate for its inclusion.
NOT A POPULAR SPORT
“The sport is not popular or widely played in the majority of developed countries but that should not be a bar, but seen as an opportunity to create a model for transitioning a sport that has a strong social and community history, from which invaluable lessons can be learnt and applied,” he said.
He noted that the reasons advanced for the sport’s inclusion in the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games are similar to the reasons they put forward for its Olympics inclusion. However, there are other factors that will be considered before the International Olympic Committee gives the sport the nod of approval.
“I advanced reasons for the sport to be included (CAC Games) and I expect that it will have its maiden voyage at the 2023 CAC Games,” said Samuda. “So the approach for an Olympic berth has to be strategic, as there are other sports with equally compelling reasons vying to occupy a place on the Olympic stage.”
He added: “Proponents on behalf of the sport must consider factors – including its value proposition, commercial value, gender neutrality, entertainment value and the sports’ comparative less operation costs and greater accessibility – in differentiating the sport from its competitors, while demonstrating a case of ‘bang for the buck’.
“The job will be made easier for decision-makers if they are handed, on a platter, a menu that they cannot reasonably refuse,” he stated.
In recent months, World Netball and Netball Australia have declared their intent for netball to be part of the Olympic programme in Brisbane 2032.
Netball has been part of the Commonwealth Games since 1998, but has never been part of the Olympic programme.