COACH of Jamaica’s national senior women’s basketball team, Simone Edwards, is calling on corporate Jamaica for support to shape and preserve the national team.

Edwards is dubious about getting the team to the July 8-12 Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championships to be held in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) as they are still without a main sponsor.

“This for me is hard because at this point… a few days to the tournament and I still do not have any main sponsor on board to say for sure I am heading to that tournament,” she said while speaking at a press conference to name the team at Hotel Four Seasons on Wednesday.

The former player went on to say that even with the lack of funding and limited practice sessions, the talented group of women continues to represent their country with pride.

“We are a national team (and) I am not supposed to be begging each year to send these young ladies to compete for our country. We have been to the FIBA Americas three times and we are a step away from the Olympics each time.

“We can’t get over Brazil, Canada and Cuba, teams that have been practising and having practice games for months, when we only practise for a week with basketball. This should tell you how talented and hard-working these young ladies are, practising for one week and are just a step a way from the Olympics. Can you imagine how far we might go if we have sponsors and supporters?” she asked.

The Jamaicans will be hunting a top-four spot at the tournament, that will see them moving on to Centrobasket scheduled for July 22-26, where they will vie for a berth to the FIBA Americas Championships, from which they can qualify for the FIBA World Championships or the Olympics.

“Right now, I am trying to figure out if I am getting to the tournament or not. In terms of preparations, I am just trying to get in two practices a day, trying to get a lot of plays in, because I don’t have a lot of practice time to go into a tournament. I want to win the tournament, so I am hoping with the time I have I can get the ladies to run the plays I want,” Edwards told the Jamaica Observer.

The team is currently being assisted by Island Grill, Wisynco and Hotel Four Seasons, with the latter providing accommodation for players and coaches. Also on board is the Mayor of Kingston Angela Brown-Burke and Best Dressed Chicken, both of whom opted to pay for a ticket for a player each.

Mark Broomfield, representing Caribbean maritime Institute which donated $100,000 and a bus that will be available to the team free of cost, said that his institution believes in giving back to the country.

“Given the limited resources, I think that the team has heart, and we have always been known for that. We have skills and talent and for that we have some overseas-based players coming back to play with us, and I think that gives us an advantage.

“We are confident that the team will make it past this first stage, and having passed that first stage, I am confident that the sponsors that I have approached with time will come on board,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

The team comprises Angelee Latouche, Sasha Dixon, Ladonna Lamonth, Nicole Dias, Althea Byfield, Thova Gardner, Loretta Gordon, Simone Jackson, Christina Mitchell and Rashida Aikens-Cooper. The team will be boosted by WNBA’s Jennifer George, who represents Indiana Fever and Shenneika Smith, who now plies her trade at New York Liberty.

Jamaica will play from Group B in the championship where they will go up against Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana and St Vincent & the Grenadines.