JAMAICA’S Under-21 netball team got off to a winning start in the World Netball Youth Cup, defeating Tonga 66-43 in their opening match in Gibraltar. However, Head Coach Annett Daley tempered her enthusiasm with a keen eye on improvement, noting that there are areas to work on as the competition progresses.

Playing at the Europa Sports Complex on Sunday morning, the Jamaicans led every quarter — with scores of 19-9, 36-17, and 52-30 — before securing the 23-point win.

“It is the first time out, and I am indeed pleased with the performance from the team,” Daley told the Jamaica Observer. “They have scored 66 goals and so the girls need to be proud of themselves. It is a different style of play that they are playing against, and they stuck to our structure and they stuck to the task.”

Daley noted that while the team played well, there are challenges that lie ahead.

“You know, [while] playing a game you are going to be looking at things that you need to improve on when you move into the other games, because as you move through the tournament it is going to get more difficult. It’s more wear and tear on the body,” she said. “It means that the concentration and the focus will have to be spot on.”

Despite the challenges ahead, Daley is pleased with her team’s performance and emphasised the importance of celebrating its successes.

“We are happy and we are celebrating this win because it’s important that you celebrate the successes, but now we have to move on to what is to come next,” she said.

“The girls came out of the game pretty good. They have seen some areas [which need work], you know. [I am now] having early discussions with them about some areas that they are thinking we didn’t execute the way we wanted to, but they’re happy with their performance. It’s a win; this tournament is about getting a win.”

Looking ahead, the young Sunshine Girls will have to adapt quickly as their next match against Sri Lanka on Monday at 12:00 pm (Jamaica time) at the Tercentenary Sports Hall is uncertain due to Sri Lanka’s travel issues.

If Sri Lanka doesn’t make it to the tournament, Jamaica’s next match would be against Wales on Tuesday at 5:00 am at the Europa Sports Complex.

Regardless of the schedule, Daley is preparing her team for their next challenge.

“I am still not sure if they [Sri Lankans] are here but if not, it means we will not have a game on Monday, and we will move into the second game against Wales on Tuesday,” Daley said. “We definitely will have to go into a training session for that game.

“We are going to be looking at Wales’ game that they played with Tonga; we are going to be going through that because we want to ensure that we are able to counter their strategies. They were successful in that match, and I am sure they will now be coming to say that they want a win, and we are equally enthused about getting a win from that match as well.

“So it is just about analysing their play. We are comfortable with where we are with our plays and structures, and so now it is how we counteract what they bring to the table.”

Jamaica goal shooter Azara Wilmot (centre) makes a successful shot ahead of Tonga’s Lupe Fonua. At left is Wilmot’s teammate Nickesha Powell. Collin Reid courtesy of KFC and SVL

Jamaica celebrate their win at the end of the game. Collin Reid courtesy of KFC and SVL