By Neto Baptiste
The senior national netball team left Antigua Thursday for Jamaica where they will compete in the Netball World Cup Qualifiers slated for October 15-22.
This, after what the President of the Antigua and Barbuda Netball Association (ABNA) and former national goal shoot, Karen Joseph, said was a long and stressful fundraising drive to ensure the team would get to Jamaica for the important qualifiers.
“It has been a stressful two months or month and a-half leading into this tournament and it’s mind boggling and frustrating, but in everything, give God thanks. Sometimes, I have sleepless nights because even though you put your trust in God, as a human you sit and you tend to over think, but God is awesome,” she said.
Joseph, who made several radio and television appearances in an effort to solicit financial support for the team, said a number of businesses, individuals and bodies came forward in a massive way.
“The coach Lisa, she has gone above and beyond and I can’t even tell you what she did for us, but we are indebted to her; the netball association. Also, to the NOC, they have always been our backbone, to Lingies, we say thank you. TMZ Pharmacy and we also have Fitzroy Rewinding, Ministry of Tourism and Tourism Authority, Kess Imports who was there since village league and now he is back on board, I say thanks a million. We have Wishing Well Inc, Asot Michael, we have Barefoot Promotions and to Cool & Smooth who is always there, the Ministry of Sports and the government, we say thank you,” the former player said.
Joseph made special mention of corporate citizen Amer Hourani and Cool & Smooth who provided tracksuits for the entire team prior to their departure.
“Up to [Tuesday] night when we met with the team, we didn’t have tracksuits to travel with but let me tell you something, Amer, I called him and I said ‘boss, let me tell you something, we’re travelling Thursday and we don’t have tracksuits as yet, and he said ‘Karen, you’re my sister’, and we started talking. Then Amer left, went to the warehouse and he called me back and said ‘consider it done’,” she said.
Success at the qualifiers would see Antigua and Barbuda into the Netball World Cup slated for Cape Town, South Africa from July 28 to August 6 next year. Team Antigua and Barbuda opens their campaign on Sunday when they face Trinidad & Tobago at 9:25am.
Full Squad: Seymone Parkes, Amey Lake, Patara Davis, Jamila Fitz, Tashana Bloomfield, Sanchez Martin, Shermaine Reifer, Sharifa Simmons, Kianna Simmons, Tanya Green, Laureen Lockhart, and Saska Diamond.