Sunshine Girls keen on regaining AFNA title

A confident 12-member Sunshine Girls team is scheduled to depart the island today to take part in the American Federation of Netball Associations (AFNA) Championships, which will be held in Trinidad and Tobago July 13-21.

The Sunshine Girls, who last won the tournament in 2008 - when they last competed - are firm favourites to win the title.

"We are confident," said Marva Bernard, president of the Jamaica Netball Association. "They (players) are going to go there and represent us well because they are taking the pride of the Jamaican people with them.

"Some of them (players) are young and will be representing Jamaica for the first time. We want them to do well, and we expect them to do well," Bernard added.

Defender Kasey Evering, who will be making a return to international competition after a year and half on the sidelines because of a knee injury, is also full of optimism that they will lift the regional crown.

"The team has been working really hard and the coach has been drilling us very hard," said Evering. "I think that we are prepared mentally and physically for this tournament ... we are the top team in the Caribbean and we want to keep it this way by winning this tournament."

Using her experience

Evering said she will be making her experience count in whatever way possible.

"I am just going to go there with my experience and try to do my best and contribute to the team in whatever way I can so that we can win the championships and take home the trophy back to Jamaica.

"It's always good to represent my country and I love representing my country and wearing the national colours," added Evering, who was a member of the Sunshine Girls team which finished fourth at the Commonwealth Games in India in 2010.

Evering and captain Nadine Bryan are the most senior players in the Sunshine Girls squad.

The rest of the squad members are: Jhaniele Fowler, Sabrina Spence, Anna-Kay Griffiths, Vanessa Walker, Kimone Tulloch, Patricia McCalla, Malysha Kelly, Vangelee Williams, Sasha-Gay Lynch and Shameera Sterling.

- Robert Bailey