Young Sunshine Girls ready for Netball World Youth qualifiers
Published:Wednesday | July 3, 2024 | 12:10 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
THE PHYLIS Thompson-coached Jamaica under-21 Sunshine Girls are locked in preparation for the Americas Netball World Youth Cup qualifiers in Guadeloupe set for July 7-14.
According to Thompson, the coaching staff is seeing positive signs.
“Preparation has been going good so far as the ladies have shown guts and heart. They’re working hard and are upbeat and ready to go,” said Thompson.
Roxonna McLean will captain the team which includes the likes of Kellian Hunter, Shanai Martin, Kadedra Wright, Nickesha Powell, Shaqwuan Hamilton, Danielle Laidlaw, Jada Ricketts, Maya Williams, Deandra Edwards, Tianna Reid, and Fentonian Henry.
The young Sunshine Girls are using the ongoing Red Stripe Flavours Netball Jamaica Elite League for practice matches with Thompson saying the tournament has given the coaching staff the luxury of trying new combinations ahead of the qualifiers.
“It has been going well because we’re seeing things from the players that we’ve never seen before. We know that the potential is there, but this allows us to see different combinations among the different groups in attack and defence,” she said.
Thompson hails McLean as an “outstanding individual” who has earned the respect of her teammates, adding that the former Denbigh High School standout is a player for the future.
“Roxanna is a very hardworking individual, she’s a gem and is like the mother of the team. She is well respected and whenever she goes on court, she often gives us a 150 per cent. She’s an outstanding player and one to look out for in the future,”.
The Sunshine Girls were drawn in Pool A of the tournament with the quartet of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Cayman Islands and Canada. Pool B is made up of Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, St Maarten and hosts Guadeloupe. The top three teams from the qualifier will book their spot at the Netball Youth World Cup set to be hosted in Gibraltar in September.
Thompson explained that the qualifiers will be competitive but she has full confidence that the group will secure one of the three qualifying spots on offer.
“I think all the teams are very capable. We are not taking anything for granted as we’re preparing ourselves to just go out and play to the best of our ability. I know the ladies will go out and deliver.”