Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
Jamaica's successful Under-16 Caribbean Netball Champions with some of the trophies they won at the 2006 Caribbean Netball Championships shortly after they arrived at the Norman Manley International Airport last Saturday.
Robert Bailey, Gleaner Writer
REVENGE, especially when it comes swiftly, is sweet, sweet, sweet. Last year, Jamaica went down to a narrow two-point defeat against Barbados and went on to lose the Caribbean Under-16 Netball Championships for the first time in seven tries.
This year, the young Sunshine Girls turned that around with an emphatic win over the Barbadians, to quickly restore lost pride and crown themselves and the nation in glory.
It was done with some amount of style, too, as all of their seven opponents were soundly thrashed as the lowest margins of victory were by 20 and 25 points over Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago respectively.
Apart from the main prize - the championship trophy - the Jamaicans were crowned the Best Defensive Team, Most Accurate Shooting Team, Best Goal Average, Most Valuable Player and Top Goal Shooter (Christina Salmon), and the Youngest Academic Achiever Award (Lionne McNaughton).
"I am really feeling great to know that we have taken home the championship trophy," the lassies' head coach Joan Cargill told The Gleaner upon their return from the championship.
"We accomplished what we were aiming for because last year was the first time we lost this trophy," she said.
On that occasion, both Jamaica and Barbados were unbeaten heading into their clash and almost the same thing happened this time, the only difference being a tied match between the Barbadians and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Cargill admitted complacency got the better of the team last year.
"I believe that last year's team got complacent because they were always winning and never lost before," Cargill pointed out. "But this team was properly prepared for the championships and the coaching staff made sure the girls were mentally, physically and strategically ready and they went out there and did the job."
Cargill added: "What this victory does is to say to Jamaica that we are reigning as the top netball country in the Caribbean ... so I am urging corporate Jamaica to come on board and support netball in the country."
She also expressed pleasure at the Jamaica Netball Association's decision to re-appoint her as the team's coach.
"Personally for me, I started with this squad along with the manager Cora Ricketts, but last year when they lost to Barbados in the finals we weren't there.
"So when the president, Marva Bernard, asked me to rejoin the squad, I decided yes because I knew that this team was going to be the winning team," admitted Cargill.
Scores against all comers
Jamaica 45 St. Lucia 12
Jamaica 62 Antigua 6
Jamaica 40 Trinidad and Tobago 15
Jamaica 51 Grenada 7
Jamaica 56 St. Vincent and the Grenadines 18
Jamaica 54 Dominica 14
Jamaica 38 Barbados 18
Bernard
The future looks 'really great', says Bernard
Marva Bernard, president of the Jamaica Netball Association (JNA), said the sport's future is in good hands following the national Under-16 netball team's performance at the just concluded Caribbean Championships in Trinidad and Tobago.
"The girls just went out there and played their hearts out for their country and the future of netball in Jamaica looks really great," Bernard stated.
"I am extremely, absolutely delighted. I must thank our sponsors Digicel and Bank of Nova Scotia for making it possible to bring back this trophy to Jamaica where it belongs," added Bernard, who was also in Trinidad and Tobago to witness the overwhelming performances.
Jamaica won all seven matches at the tournament with some massive winning margins, some as wide as 50-odd points while they limited opponents to under eight points.
The closest winning margin was 20 points, that secured against Barbados which inflicted the only loss on Jamaica in the tournament's history, at last year's edition in Barbados.
"It was mission accomplished and it really was a team effort," admitted Bernard. "The support staff was great, the girls played like adults and they really had no competition. But each win was taken on its own merit."
The JNA president also used the occasion to appeal to corporate Jamaica for assistance in the country's preparations for next year's World Netball Championships (senior) in Fiji. She said the lack of funds is hindering the team's ability to gain crucial practice.
"We need to get international matches. World Champions New Zealand want to come here in February, while number two-ranked Australia wanted to host us in March. But we had to turn down both invitations because it's going to cost us close to $2m to host New Zealand and the trip to Australia would cost us approximately US$40,000 and we just don't have any money." said Bernard.
- R. Bailety
