‘This male team is very strong’

PRESIDENT OF Netball Jamaica (NJ) Tricia Robinson has defended her organisation’s decision to have a select male team compete against the Sunshine Girls and Trinidad and Tobago in this month’s tri-nation series.

The male team, which is coached by Keyan-Shawn Murdock, has replaced South Africa, which pulled out of the series because of COVID 19 restrictions. The series will be held from October 14-22.

Former Sunshine Girls assistant coach, Winston Nevers, had expressed disappointment at the male team’s inclusion, saying the sport’s development would have been bettter served by replacing South Africa with the national under-21 netball team.

He said the national under-21 team would have gained a lot of experience against the Sunshine Girls and Trinidad and Tobago, as opposed to the male team, which does not play club or international games. Jamaica’s netball body has never hosted a men’s netball league competition.

However, Robinson said NJ has made the right move because both the Sunshine Girls and Trinidad and Tobago are anxiously looking forward to competing against the men’s team.

“We are preparing for the Commonwealth Games and the under-21 team cannot give us the competition that we need at this time,” said Robinson.

“We have to ensure that the under-21s develop properly. They have been in training, but at this particular time we are in preparation for the Commonwealth Games; they cannot give us the competition that we require,” she said.

“We are looking forward to everyone to come out and give of their best, and for us to have a successful series,” Robinson said.

The NJ boss pointed out that having a male team competing against the Sunshine Girls is not new to her association, because they have in the past provided valuable practice games before the national team goes off to compete in international tournaments.

“This male team is a very strong team because they have been around for a while, and they have always been a part of our training programme and they have always given us good, high-intensity competition,” Robinson explained, adding that the Sunshine Girls actually want to play them.

“They (the players) requested them because they were part of the decision when we decided to play against the male team. Trinidad also practise with males, and so they are excited to compete against the Jamaican male team,” she noted.

Robinson also dismissed Nevers’ concerns that the male team poses a COVID-19 health risk to both teams, as they will not be in a camp.

She stated that the male contingent will be COVID-tested before games during the series and that they will also be in camp throughout.