Netball Jamaica President Tricia Robinson is cautiously optimistic that there will be a breakthrough in the investigations to recover the two stolen buses so that the country’s netball programmes can continue without setback.

Robinson says not having the buses which were stolen from the association’s Netball House situated at 17 Widcombe Drive, Kingston 6, represents a major difficulty, as they are now left to figure out how to transport players from the various national programmes to and from training, among other things.

The Sunshine Girls are currently in preparation for a series against South Africa and Trinidad and Tobago in October, as well as another against England scheduled for late November, with the Commonwealth Games to come next year.

“Every time I speak about this it breaks my heart, I really don’t know how people can be so inconsiderate, and it comes at a time when we have a curfew that you steal two buses from the national team,” noted a disheartened Robinson, adding that yesterday’s training session was facilitated by a bus loaned to them by the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA).

“So it’s a huge setback today. We got a loaner, but we still have the task of thinking about how we are going to move the team around from training to their doctors and physiotherapist…it is our tool. The girls are located all over, so we have to pick them up and drop them off, but without the buses we have no idea how we are going to do that now,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

Checks with the Corporate Communications Unit (CCU), the communications arm of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, confirmed that the buses had been stolen between Friday and Saturday and an investigation has commenced.

It is understood that private firm KingAlarm, who is charged with securing the property, has also launched its own investigation.

“We are also in dialogue with KingAlarm about putting in additional security and we are also reviewing the footage of the time the buses left the compound.

“So I am kind of comforted that we might have a breakthrough, but this is just a show that the country is at an all-time low when you steal from a national team and we are just pleading for the return of the buses, because without them we are basically back to square one, and that’s not right,” Robinson said.

The situation was even more depressing for Robinson, given the fact that the buses — donated in 1999 and 2010 by Cable and Wireless, now Flow, and Jamaica Public Service, respectively — serve players who continuously dedicate time and effort to represent the country.

“How can we, on one hand, celebrate the team’s achievements and then on the other hand take away stuff that assist in their performances. It is sad. That is like asking a carpenter to go to work without tools,” she argued.

“We feel violated. Somebody came to our home and took our buses. Footage showed them there from minutes to 12 working diligently taking the wrappings off the bus and you must be comfortable to be able to do something like that,” Robinson added.

Sunshine Girls goal-attack Shanice Beckford also expressed disappointment at the situation.

“It is a huge setback for us as players, because it will now hinder us getting to training in a safe and timely manner, especially now that we are in the middle of a pandemic and the fact that we are preparing for the upcoming series.

“It is also disappointing knowing that these buses serve a team representing the country. But we are just hoping for the best as we try to remain focused on our preparations,” Beckford told the Observer.

Meanwhile, former netball boss Marva Bernard, who had fond memories about how and when the buses were donated, is also hopeful that they will be returned in good order.

“I hope that they will recover the buses in good working condition, if not then I am hoping there is a company that will donate two buses so that the programme can run effectively. It is not a far-fetched request,” Bernard noted.

“But I am just hoping that they will recover the buses and they will not be damaged, because over the years we have taken really good care of those buses, and for a bus as old as the one from Cable and Wireless to still be on the road is an indication of how we cared for those buses.

“It is so unfortunate and sad that they were stolen from the Netball House,” she added.