SVGNA putting wheels in motion

The executive of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Netball Association (SVGNA) is putting some plans in place to help resuscitate the sport of netball here.

One step to this objective is the decision to forgo the upcoming Caribbean Netball Association (CNA) Jean Pierre Under-16 netball tournament, set for Antigua and Barbuda later this month.

Revelation of this decision was made last Sunday, when president of the SVGNA addressed the opening of the 2019 National Netball Tournament at the Kingstown Netball Centre.

Mc Intosh informed, “This year we will not participate in the Jean Pierre Under -16 Tournament… It was determined that the players in training were not ready for the competition… I wish to state that a cadre of young players, some as young as 12 years have been selected with a view to possible selection on the team which is likely to represent St. Vincent and the Grenadines at the 2020 Jean Pierre Under -16 tournament”.

Doris Mc Intosh – president of the SVGNA

Another of the undertakings of the SVGNA, Mc Intosh disclosed, will be the upgrade of the local umpires’ stock.

“My cry every year is for the state of umpiring in our country… The sessions are being offered, but as usual only a few persons would turn up for these sessions. I am pleased to state that the Caribbean Netball Association has organised an umpires’ seminar for persons who are not certified… The facilitator should come to St. Vincent and the Grenadines during the month of March 2019. I wish to ask persons who are interested in upgrading themselves, they should attend these sessions so that they would then be certified,” the SVGNA president related.

With these pursuits and the improvement of play in this year’s national club tournament, Mc Intosh is hopeful that St Vincent and the Grenadines’ netball would continue to rise.

Expected to add value to the country’s netball are the 27 teams which are contesting this year’s national tournament.

Five teams are registered in division one; nine are in division two, nine in division three and four are in division four.

Twenty five of the teams registered, were present at last Sunday’s opening ceremony.

And, in the areas of adjudication, RSVG Police Elite Netball Team won the best banner award and division three outfit – SVG General Services Maple, won the best dressed team accolade.