Youthful Sunshine Girls aim for Fast5 podium
Published:Sunday | October 13, 2024 | 12:11 AMOrane Buchanan - Staff Reporter
SUNSHINE GIRLS head coach, Nardia Hansen, wants a fully fit team ahead of the World Fast5 Netball tournament slated for November 9 and 10.
Hansen was speaking during preparation games against at the National Indoor Sports Centre on Friday night.
“The preparation phase isn’t going badly. We’re not where we would want to be, but we have a few weeks to go, so we’re taking it in stride. The main goal right now is getting the girls fit and making shots,” said Hansen.
The Sunshine Girls will be hoping to have a better outing than their fifth-place finish last time out, but won’t have it easy in a tournament that boasts hosts New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and Uganda.
Jamaica’s hopes will rest on the shoulders of Amanda Pickney, Cornelia Walters, Kestina Sturridge, Kimone Shaw, Paula-Ann Burton, Roxanna McLean, Shadine Bartley, Simone Gordon, Tiffaney Langley, and Zaudi Green.
The team’s best finish in the tournament came in the 2017 and 2018 editions when they secured silver medals.
According to Hansen, the team is setting their sights on finishing on the podium.
“All teams heading to New Zealand are going in search of the gold medal, so my realistic expectation will be that. The girls will do well and we’re focused on finishing in the medal spots. Our first game is against the home team and we know that there will be a lot of butterflies for the team,” she said.
While the majority of the players will be making their debuts, Hansen is expecting them to seize the opportunities in front of them.
“We have a lot of youth and will be going without the senior players to New Zealand. However, we have a few players who have the experience of Fast5 and are used to it. We have seven players who will make their debut. While it’s not balanced, other players will now garner the experience. This is their opportunity and I’m sure that they will grab it with two hands.”
Netball Jamaica will have a stacked November calendar with the Fast5 tournament in New Zealand along with a home-and-away series against England.
According to Karen Rosen-Baugh, director at Netball Jamaica, she’s grateful for the male teams that have given the Sunshine Girls good preparation.
She added that the team is still looking for partners to join with the national programme.
“The preparation is going great so with the help of our male teams, we are giving them that intense work to prepare them. We are looking for partners that believe in the potential of the Sunshine Girls as this is the only sport where we have a real shot at being number one in the world,” said Baugh.