Annette Daley, head coach of Jamaica’s Under-21 netball team, is driven to make a mark at the Netball World Youth Cup 2025 (NWYC2025) in Gibraltar. Having previously led a Jamaica team to a bronze medal in the 2013 tournament, Daley is eager to improve on that performance.

The tournament, which is the pinnacle of netball competition for emerging players who are under 21 years of age, is set to take place from September 19 to 28. Jamaica’s best placement was second at the 2000 edition.

“Well, representing your country any point in time is always a tremendous feeling,” Daley said, referring to the pride of guiding Jamaica’s young team.

“The last Youth World Cup that I have been to was in 2013 where we won bronze. It is one that I would love to better but these young ladies have less experience than the team that we went to Scotland in 2013 with. However, these girls have been resilient in their approach,” Daley told the Jamaica Observer.

Daley says her team has been working hard to prepare for the NWYC2025, which will feature 20 teams competing in two main venues — The Tercentenary Sports Hall and Europa Sports Park. While her players have less experience than the team that won bronze 12 years ago, Daley is confident in their abilities.

“Anything that we bring to the table they are already taking it on and therefore we continue to work hard. We would have loved to have additional practice for them where they would have played international teams and therefore that experience would be valuable. We don’t have that so we are utilising our local talents in trying to give them the match play that we need,” Daley said.

“Let’s say they [players] are not yet at the place that we would love them to be but when we played South Africa in January, where they are now I strongly believe that it would have a different outcome if we would have [faced] South Africa now,” she continued.

The young Sunshine Girls have been drawn into Pool C. Their opponents in the pool include England, Tonga, Wales, and Sri Lanka.

The Sunshine Girls are to begin their campaign against Tonga on September 21. The following day, they are slated to take on Sri Lanka, while on September 23, the are down to face off against Wales. Finally, they are scheduled to wrap up the preliminary round against England on September 24.

Daley believes they have what it takes to advance to the next round.

“It is a strong group that we are in. I think that we can be one of the two coming out. It is just about approaching each game as that final game,” she said.

With a fifth-place finish in 2021, a bronze medal in 2013, and a silver medal in 2000 to draw inspiration from, Daley’s team is determined to make a strong impression.

“In 2013 we were third, but remember the other Under-21 team finished fifth after that and in 2021 because of COVID we didn’t have it. So we are coming off the back of that fifth performance, we want to better that and that’s our aim,” Daley said.

Members of Jamaica’s Under-21 netball team. (Photos: Collin Reid)

Jamaica’s Under-21 player Kaydeen Gordon (left) catches the ball under pressure from Daneitta Josephs (second left) of Nevers International as Gordon’s teammate Nickesha Powell looks on during a netball practice match at the National Arena on July 27, 2025.

Nevers International’s Leneice Williams (left) and Jamaica Under-21 netball player Deandra Edwards vie for the ball during an exhibition match at the National Arena on July 27, 2025.