Confident netgirls off to Worlds

CONFIDENT Trinidad and Tobago Calypso netballers leave this morning for Jamaica and the 11th World Netball Championships which opens at the new National Sports Centre in Kingston tomorrow.

But only at 6 pm yesterday, the 12-member team and officials were receiving their travel and playing uniforms, and were still in the sorting out process which prevented Newsday from getting a team photograph. Coach Veronica McDonald is very upbeat about her team, however, and is confident they will improve from their current No 8 ranking in the world. She took over the squad only six weeks ago and according to her, has moulded them into a force with which the top teams, champions Australia, runners-up New Zealand, third England, fourth Jamaica and fifth South Africa will have to reckon.

In a recent interview, McDonald said, “I believe we are ready to go and do what we have to do.” Despite several drawbacks, however, McDonald believes her girls are ready physically and mentally ready for the championships, following a series of matches against men netballers from the El-Ba-San and Soul City teams. Trinidad and Tobago are the only team apart from the Aussies and Silver Ferns (New Zealand) to win the world netball crown when they earned a share of the title in 1979, when the tournament was played at the Jean Pierre Complex in Mucurapo.

TT squad: Janelle Barker, Ansatascia Wilson, Simone Morgan (shoots); Lystra Solomon (capt), Carlette Nurse (vice-capt), Tricia Liverpool, Stacey Sparks, Denesha Moses (centre-court), Anika La Roche, Glenis Hall, Sojourner Hyles, Rhonda John (defenders).
Officials are: Veronica McDonald (coach), Althea McCollin (assistant coach), Donna Cox (managress), TTNA president Martha Archer and secretary Beverly-Ann Cruickshank (conference delegates).