Aussie series to cost JNA pretty penny
DESPITE receiving a 50 per cent discount on the cost to rent the National Indoor Sports Centre (NISC), the SVL Sunshine Series between Australia and Jamaica is expected to run the Jamaica Netball Association (JNA) close to $5 million.
The JNA got a discount of $600,000 for rental of the facility from operators Independence Park Limited (IPL), which helped to reduce the price to $1.7 million for the three-test series which started last night.
That figure includes rental, electricity and air conditioning for match and practise days. But in addition, the JNA must pay extra for security and clean up of the venue.
The remainder of the budget will include the cost of airline tickets, meals and accommodation for the three technical officials from New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados.
Meanwhile, the JNA has been able to save in excess of $1 million off its budget from that of previous series as it no longer has to worry about accommodation and transportation.
The senior netballers are this week encamped at the newly-renovated team house while they will be shuttled back and forth in the Jamaica Public Service Company- (JPSCo) sponsored team bus.
Last week, the JNA announced that it had an estimated budget of $38 million for squad maintenance and team preparation for the team for the World Netball Championships (WNC) in Singapore in July.
The senior squad will play two more test series — against England and Trinidad and Tobago — before July, with each expected to cost the association approximately $5 million.
The JNA has budgeted an additional $8 million to use the NISC for match practice in the build-up to the WNC, with the cost of travel to Singapore expected to pass the $12 million mark.
Last week, the JNA made an appeal to persons who would ask for complimentary tickets to support the team’s effort this time around by purchasing them.
Yesterday, a JNA source told the Observer that the appeal seemed to have worked as there had been a significant reduction in the number of calls requesting complimentary tickets for the series.
