With the Netball Jamaica (NJ) annual general meeting (AGM) set for next month, first Vice-President Simone Forbes remains coy about any decision to seek re-election for the post.

All current positions within the association, including the presidency currently held by Tricia Robinson and the directorship, are up for re-election.

Forbes, a former Sunshine Girls captain, has been the first vice-president since October 2021. She told the Jamaica Observer that she will make her decision by the end of this year.

“I have not decided if I will be running for first vice-president. I will let you know before the end of 2024 if I will be running,” Forbes said. “I have family commitments and I have a five-year-old, and being on this board is like having another child, because it really takes a lot. I am very passionate about netball and where it’s going, and my mind never turns off.”

She added: “I am up at two or three o’clock in the morning thinking about netball, doing netball, figuring out netball. That is how I am wired, and because of that, it takes a lot.”

Forbes, 43, one of the country’s most decorated netball players, said she is very pleased with the progress the sport has made since she joined the Netball Jamaica board in 2021. She emphasised that if she cannot fully commit to the position, she will not contest the election.

“It takes a lot of commitment, and once I am committed to something, I give it everything I have. So it’s a big decision, and I don’t take it lightly because it will be a two-year term.

“I am happy with the strides and contributions I have made so far and there is a lot more to do. I know that a lot of things are still in the works, so this decision is not one I will take lightly. I have to take my time and I will not be rushed,” Forbes stated.

She said the date for the AGM has not been confirmed, as they are still waiting to receive the audited financial statements from their auditor.

“There is no date for the AGM yet because we are still waiting on the draft from the auditor and we have not received that yet. As soon as we get it, the date will be announced,” Forbes said.

Senior Netball Director Karen Rosen Baugh recently announced that she will be running for the post of president.

Rosen Baugh, who has been NJ’s director of marketing and sponsorship since 2021, is widely regarded in the netball community as a strong contender for the position.

— Robert Bailey