BEST INTERNATIONAL TEAM: SUNSHINE GIRLS
THE Jamaican national netball team enjoyed a good year on the court, even by their high standards. The girls, with the team still in a transition phase, fought hard against the England Roses during the three-game home Test series, but lost 3-0.
Many of the nation’s top representatives in recent years were unavailable and this gave opportunities to young shooters, like Sabrina Spence and Thristina Harwood. After the Test series in April, the next assignment for Jamaica’s senior netball team was the FAST5 Netball World Series in November.
Fast-forward to November and Coach Oberon Pitterson travels with what she describes as a balanced squad featuring young newcomers Harwood, Shamera Sterling alongside seasoned shooters Jhaniele Fowler, Romelda Aiken with defender and Captain Malysha Kelly.
They breezed past South Africa, but edged Malawi and England all on the first day. An incredible 41-all tie between Australia and Jamaica set up a mouth-watering clash for a spot in the finals. The semi-final did not disappoint, both teams exchanging leads many times before Australia held on to win 27-25.
Surprise semi-finalist South Africa met Jamaica in the third-place play-off and ended on the losing side, again, being crushed 44-17. The girls fought valiantly and only just missed out on a place in the final, but still managed third. With that said, the Sunshine Girls is the Best International Sports Team for they all made us proud.