Exposure more of a priority than results – Netball Jamaica VP
Published:Tuesday | October 15, 2024 | 12:10 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
WITH SEVEN debutantes in the 10-member squad, Jamaica will be banking on the talent of their youth to secure the country’s first medal at the FAST5 netball tournament set for November 9 in New Zealand.
Simone Forbes, vice-president at Netball Jamaica, said the primary focus is around giving the youngsters the opportunity of getting international matches under their belt.
“Fast5 is generally used to give our youngsters a taste of what international netball is all about. For the past couple of years, that’s what we’ve been using it for, and this year is no different. This is a new team and we decided that, regardless of the end result, the focus is around giving them the opportunity to play international games,” said Forbes.
Jamaica’s 10-member team includes the likes of: Amanda Pickney, Cornelia Walters, Kestina Sturridge, Kimone Shaw, Paula-Ann Burton, Roxanna McLean, Shadine Bartley, Simone Gordon, Tiffaney Langley, and Zaudi Green. According to Forbes, Jamaica, similar to the other five participating countries – New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and Uganda, have a legitimate shot at securing the ultimate prize.
“I do believe that they’re going to do an incredible job. The top six countries primarily use it for this purpose (exposure). Therefore, I believe we have a chance like any other team to do well and come out on top,” the vice-president said.
At the 2023 staging, Jamaica finished fifth. With less than a month to go before tip-off, co-coaches Nardia Hanson and Dalton Hines conducted a training session on Friday night against the men’s national team, in a bid to fine-tune the team’s preparation.
The pre-tournament preparation, according to Forbes, is going well.
“They’ve been preparing well and I believe they’ll learn from the experience and be proud of what it is that they bring home. I know they can win but, at the end of the day, it’s the about the experience that they get. Once they do their best, that’s good enough.”