Phylis Thompson, head coach of Jamaica’s Under-21 netball team, credited hard work, patience and consistency as key factors behind the team’s resounding success at the 2024 Americas Qualifiers in Guadeloupe.

The young Sunshine Girls dominated and won the tournament, showcasing their skills and determination as they went undefeated throughout.

By reaching the final, the team booked a spot to the Netball World Youth Cup 2025 (NWYC2025) to be held in Gibraltar from September 19 to 28.

Their impressive performances in Guadeloupe culminated in a decisive 54-29 victory over Barbados in the final on Sunday at the Paul Chonchon Hall in Pointe-a-Pitre. Trinidad and Tobago’s young Calypso Girls defeated Grenada 61-39 in the third-place play-off.

While acknowledging that the team wasn’t perfect and had made mistakes along the way, Thompson emphasised that the players’ commitment ultimately led to their success.

She also expressed her excitement for the team’s future, highlighting the importance of building on their achievements.

“I am super excited and elated for the girls,” Thompson said.

“I mean, they did the hard work coming into the tournament and it showed on the court. We weren’t always flawless as we made our fair share of mistakes along the way, but the most important thing was to secure the win here and then work on tighten up our play going forward,” Thompson further stated.

Thompson was effusive in praise of the team’s resilience, particularly in the thrilling semi-final match against their Trinidad and Tobago counterparts. The Jamaican players showed their mettle, coming from behind to stage a dramatic late rally to win 40-33.

“We have a very talented group of girls and it showed in the semi-final against Trinidad. We were down two by goals, I reminded them [players] that we are still in the game and they went out and gave it their all and came out victorious. So I am very proud of them and like I said, we will go back to the drawing board and work on what we need to for the World Cup next year,” she said.

Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago have joined pre-qualified teams New Zealand, Australia, England, Fiji, and host Gibraltar for NWYC2025, which will feature 20 teams.

South Africa, Malawi, and Zambia qualify from Africa, while Malaysia, Singapore, and Sri Lanka qualify from Asia. The remaining six teams are yet to be determined.