Vincy Jewels off to winning start in 2024 ECCB Invitational Netball Tourney

The St Vincent and the Grenadines Senior National Netball team, Vincy Jewels, got off to a roaring start with a 71-32 swamping of the Commonwealth of Dominica on Sunday in their opening game of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank’s (ECCB) Invitational Netball series in Saint Lucia, and mauled Anguilla 87-8 in their second game last evening.

The Vincentians led Dominica in all quarters, 20-8, 38-17, 60-20, and 71-32, with goal-shooter, Maryann Frederick scoring 52 goals from 58 attempts; Kristiana Christopher 18 goals from 21 attempts; and Jamarah Coombs 1 from 1.

For Dominica, Anna-Maria Panthier scored 22 from 26 attempts, and Gailene Gordon-Seraphine sank 10 from 13 attempts.

In a post-match interview, an excited Vincy Jewels captain, Kemisha Antoine, said they are not going into any game “underestimating any team,” so they went into their opening game “ready to play”.

“From what we did in training we showed it tonight and I am very proud of my team-mates,” Antoine said.

The Vincentians fielded two debutants in Keleshia Barbour, and Jamarah Coombs who scored her first goal at the senior level.

Coombs said that when coach, Natasha Baptiste called her to replace goal shooter, Maryann Frederick “it was nerve wracking”, but she was pleased to be able to tell her parents “I made my first goal”.

She said she knows the team “has the ability to do anything and to perform well”, so the victory was well expected.

The tournamen,t being played at the Beausejour Indoor Facility in Saint Lucia, opened on September 21, and will close on September 30. Grenada are defending the sub-regional title they took from Vincy Jewels in the 2023 edition.