Jamaica’s junior Sunshine Girls wrapped up their Netball World Youth Cup campaign in style on Sunday, clinching fifth place with a hard-fought 53-44 victory over Scotland.
The Jamaicans began the tournament brightly, notching two early wins, but their medal hopes unraveled after consecutive defeats to England and Australia in the knockout rounds. Though denied a podium finish, they showed grit and composure to rebound and close the competition among the top five.
For Scotland, their sixth-place standing equaled the nation’s best result at this level, first achieved back in 2000 when the tournament was staged in Wales.
T&T surge past hosts for 15th
Trinidad and Tobago ended their campaign on a positive note, outlasting hosts Gibraltar 45-34 in Saturday’s placement match to seal 15th position.
The clash was evenly balanced in the opening half, with the Caribbean side leading 22-18 at the break. But T&T tightened their grip in the third quarter, outscoring Gibraltar 14-7 to stretch their advantage to 36-25. From there, they managed the game with maturity, keeping the 11-point cushion intact until the final whistle.
The win was T&T’s second of the tournament, offering a measure of encouragement despite their struggles in earlier rounds.
Barbados end without a win
Barbados endured a difficult tournament and finished 18th overall, following a 49-29 defeat to Northern Ireland in the 17th-place playoff. It was a sobering campaign for the Bajans, who leave Gibraltar still searching for their first victory of the competition.
