JAMAICA’S Under-21 netball team didn’t quite get to the medal stage at the 2025 World Netball Youth Cup but their head coach, Annett Daley, is very optimistic about the future.

Daley highlighted the significant growth and potential she sees in the squad. With proper support and resources Daley noted that these young players could seamlessly transition into the senior team when the time comes.

“Based on when I had started with them last October to where they are now, I see tremendous growth and I am seeing a future for Jamaica netball.

“If these young ladies are kept together, if they are worked on and given the experiences, they will be able to step in when the senior girls step down. So, that’s one thing that I believe NJ really needs to work on, and to ensure that most of these girls are in the programme to move forward,” Daley told the Jamaica Observer.

The Young Sunshine Girls had a thrilling start to the tournament in Gibraltar. Their first match against Tonga was a strong one, with the team dominating 66-43. This impressive win set the tone for their tournament. Next up was Sri Lanka, but the match didn’t quite materialise as Sri Lanka withdrew from the tournament. Still, Jamaica earned two valuable points from the fixture.

The Young Sunshine Girls were then back in action against Wales against whom they delivered another convincing performance, winning 61-43. Their teamwork and skills were on full display, and the team seemed unstoppable.

However, their winning streak came to an end when they faced off against England in the final group stage. England proved to be a formidable opponent, and the Young Sunshine Girls struggled to keep up, ultimately losing 33-64.

Despite the tough loss the team regrouped and prepared for the quarter-finals. Unfortunately, their journey ended there, with Australia proving too strong, winning 85-33.

Daley emphasised the importance of keeping the team together and providing them with valuable experiences to hone their skills. She noted that resources are crucial for their development, citing limited training sessions initially which have since increased to include fitness training and more frequent sessions.

“Resources are a big thing for us. Even preparation for these girls, when I started with them we were only training Friday evenings and Saturday mornings — and that went on for months. And then we got to Friday evenings, Saturday mornings, and Saturday evenings,” she noted.

Jamaica’s Azara Wilmot (foreground) catches the ball ahead of Cook Islands’ Sierra Lau’ese (partly hidden) during the consolation group semi-final game during the 2025 World Netball Youth Cup at Europa Sports Complex in Gibraltar on Friday.

“And remember, those three sessions would not just be court sessions— we have to put in fitness in it. It wasn’t until June this year that I got a camp with them, so they were in-house, you know. Some were still going to school, and stuff like that, but we worked on them on the Monday and then I had like a Tuesday morning with them. And so, we started putting in some sessions and then we had two weeks in July,” Daley further said.

Daley’s team has been competing against top-notch teams, including those from Australia and England in the World Cup.

“We are competing against persons now playing in Australia’s professional leagues right through.

“We really knew that it was going to be difficult — England even did a tour down in Australia. England played many other teams before the World Cup and so it’s all well and good that, you know, we want to be on the podium but we knew that it would be difficult,” Daley explained.

Meanwhile, the Young Sunshine Girls secured a 57-47 win over Cook Islands in the semi-finals of the consolation group, advancing them to the fifth-place play-off match against Scotland. This upcoming match, scheduled for Sunday at 4:00 am at the Europa Sports Complex, will determine the final standings for fifth place.

Captain Roxonna McLean (left) of Jamaica and Charniah Shepherd of Cook Islands challenge for the ball in the consolation group semi-final match during the 2025 World Netball Youth Cup at Europa Sports Complex in Gibraltar on Friday.Photos: Collin Reid courtesy of KFC and SVL

DALEY… I see tremendous growth and I am seeing a future for Jamaica netball