Netball South Africa (NSA) president Cecilia Molokwane has announced that the national netball team is determined to challenge Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls and improve their world rankings during a three-Test series scheduled for the New Year in Kingston.
Currently ranked fifth in the world, the South African team aims to surpass the fourth-ranked Jamaicans in the world rankings. The last time these two teams faced each other was during a tri-nations series in Kingston two years ago, which also featured Trinidad and Tobago, amid the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Molokwane acknowledged that scheduling the series was challenging due to the Sunshine Girls’ busy agenda. Nevertheless, the plans for the trip are well underway, and the South African national team is focused on achieving a higher standing in the sport.
Greater significance
She stated, “We’ve recently signed a new contract with the Jamaican netball federation for a three-test-match series in Jamaica. It’s crucial for us to compete against a nation ranked higher than ours. Playing against Jamaica holds greater significance than facing Australia, New Zealand, and England in my perspective.
Jamaica holds a higher position than us in the world rankings, and our strategic goal is to interchange positions with them. Triumphing over a team ranked closely above us boosts our confidence, setting the stage for challenging encounters with other teams.”
South Africa faced challenges when competing against the world’s number-one team, Australia, and the third-ranked team, England, in recent series. However, Molokwane assured that NSA would prepare the team thoroughly to achieve their objectives.
Exciting challenge against Jamaica
She added, “Rest assured, we’re geared up for the exciting challenge against Jamaica. The remainder of the program for the year will be disclosed to the public, but we’re taking a break to provide the players and everyone involved with an opportunity to rest.”
The Jamaican Sunshine Girls secured a 67-49 victory over South Africa when they faced off in the World Cup held in South Africa from July to August. This win was particularly sweet revenge for the Sunshine Girls, as they had been defeated 55-52 by the Proteas in the 2019 World Cup in England.
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