JAMAICA lost 2-5 against a United Kingdom team in the first match of the ICWI International Ladies Polo Tri-nation Tournament at the Kingston Polo Club on Tuesday.

A US team is also competing in the series, which is being hailed as the first of its kind in this part of the world.

The English women started the stronger of the teams and comfortably led 4-0 at half-time. However, Jamaica improved after the interval and could have tied the game, had it not been for wayward penalty attempts. Rosie Ross of the UK was the game’s high scorer with three goals.

Jamaica’s player/coach Lesley Fong- Yee bemoaned her team’s slow start, but said the impressive late showing proved they never gave up.

“The fact that all the players improved all the way through the game was good, so even though the English jumped out to an early lead it never affected our game,” she told the Observer.

“The girls fought and played very well and got back into the game because we dominated towards the end… but we didn’t score the couple of penalties like we should

have done.”

USA will start their campaign when they face the UK later today at the Chukka Blue Polo Club in Sandy Bay, while the Jamaicans will take on the US team on Saturday, also at Chukka Blue due to the fact that heavy rains have affected the readiness of the original venue of the St Ann Polo Club in Drax Hall.

Fong-Yee said she was expecting her team to show improvements in that game, given the experience garnered in Tuesday’s loss.

“They will benefit from it and now they’re looking forward to the next game to rectify the mistakes that were made,” she said.