Following their third-place finish at the Netball World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa, Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls have returned home to a glorious welcome.

They arrived home via the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay on Tuesday where they were met by minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister Homer Davis and other dignitaries and staff from the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB).

A special luncheon was held in their honour at Coral Cliff in Montego Bay shortly after their arrival.

Coach of the team, Connie Francis, says she was grateful for the welcome.

“We thought these sort of welcomes only happened in Kingston,” she remarked to the Jamaica Observer.

She said that it was a welcomed surprise especially following the long flight back to Jamaica from South Africa.

“It’s been a long journey and to return and get our Jamaican-type food, it is more than we are expecting,” she further added.

The team took home the bronze medal after beating defending champions New Zealand in the encounter to decide third and fourth places.

She used the opportunity to praise the girls for the effort they had put in during the tournament which saw them ending a 16-year drought for a podium finish at the World Cup.

“We went into the tournament to do our best and I thought the performance was excellent. There is no doubt about how good they are…the girls went out there and put out a 110 per cent, and as their coach, I am just proud of the effort behind the work,” she said.