The Jamaica National (JN) Open League netball competition, which has returned to its old format after one year of a new format, tipped off on Saturday following a dress parade at Leila Robinson Courts.

Seventy teams from various communities across the island will compete for the right to call themselves all-island champions.

Dr Paula Daley-Morris, president of Netball Jamaica, made a special appeal to the players ahead of the start of the league.

“As we begin this new league I am going to appeal to the players. You are very important to us and we want to make sure that the standard of the league is good. We want to make sure that you have fun, that there is fair play, and that you respect each other and that you are disciplined as you play the league. Please remember those words, fair play, respect, discipline, fun, and of course, do enjoy every moment of the league,” she appealed.

Chief operations officer at JN, Janice Robinson-Longmore, encouraged the players to give their all despite the challenges that they face in the sport.

“On Thursday we will be celebrating International Women’s Day, that’s a day when we recognise the input that women have to our society and the theme this year is #PRESSFORPROGRESS.

“Jamaican netballers have played when nobody watches, you have played in conditions that are less than stellar and for that we salute you. I encourage you to keep playing, I encourage you to keep being enthusiastic. We at JN wish you all the very best for your league and for the competition.”

Robinson-Longmore also wished the players further success beyond the Open League competition as she called for equality among the sexes in sports.

“We also look forward to seeing some of you representing our Sunshine Girls one day and I look forward personally to seeing the day when women sports in Jamaica receive the same recognition that men sports receive.”

Senior member of the Tantrum team which won the dress parade, Atavia Anglin explained what it took to be the Best-Dressed team this year.

“We ensured that everybody was uniformed, our hair was well-groomed, we had on a little head band, which I think was the difference this year because everybody else normally has on ribbons, so we decided to do something different this year. Shoes, everything was on point, so that’s what brought home the win.

“Last year we came first in the Kingston League so we topped Kingston and then we came second in the overall parish league, so we did well. We are certainly looking forward to being overall champions in 2018.”

Tantrum then easily disposed of August Town 30-11 to cap off a good opening day.

Some other results on the day were: Bethel Town 19-13 Speg ‘B’, Hagley Park ‘B’ 27- 5 Progressive, Jamalco 41-5 Arnett Gardens ‘B’, Alexander ‘B’ 18-15 Ocho Rios, EXED Eagles 16-12 Hagley Park ‘A’, Arnett Gardens ‘A’ 43-0 De La Vega.