Jamaica’s Under-21 netball team Head Coach Annett Daley is satisfied with their progress as the young Sunshine Girls wrapped up their 2025 World Netball Youth Cup campaign in Gibraltar with a fifth-place finish.

The team had defeated Scotland 53-44 in the finals of the consolation group at the Europa Sports Complex on Sunday, a fitting end to their tournament journey, marked by grit and determination.

“We are very happy with the win. I mean, when we didn’t get into the top four then the next best thing was to ensure we got the fifth place. And so I am happy about it,” Daley told the Jamaica Observer.

Daley praised her squad’s grit and execution.

“The girls stuck to the task and they delivered,” she said. “We got a little court time before this match; it was very difficult to get court time after you have played a match to work on the things that you are seeing, the deficiencies. But we got some court time so we could look at some of the areas that we are not really executing well and we did some work on that.”

Daley singled out the defensive unit for particular commendation.

“The defensive team, you know, came up trumps; they stuck it when errors were made and they really worked hard at it,” she said. “It wasn’t an easy match because, you know, what I have found is that a lot of the teams have done extremely well based on the investments that the countries have been putting in netball.

“There’s a lot we can take away from this match. The girls are really in a position to make adjustments as they get more experience. And so it’s important now for us to look at how we keep this set of girls together, how we build on the investment that’s been made. A lot of times we tend to lose some of the very players, and that’s what you don’t want to happen if you’re able to continue to work with them.”

Daley’s assessment turned reflective as she considered the Caribbean region’s standing. Her tone carried a hint of concern.

“I think when you look at the region, I am not too happy with the Caribbean,” she said. “I mean, the other regions are doing pretty well and if we are not careful in the Caribbean, we could be in problems.”

Australia claimed the title by defeating New Zealand 63-48 in the final. England secured third place with a convincing 55-35 victory over South Africa.

“When we back at it, we are saying, ‘Well, the two teams that have beat us, one came first and one came third. And so we are feeling proud of ourselves,” Daley said.

Australia defeated Jamaica in the quarter-finals, while England got the better of them in the group stage.

Jamaica’s Azara Wilmott (left) reaches for the ball ahead of Scotland’s goalkeeper Anna Fairclough. (Photo: Collin Reid courtesy of KFC and SVL)

Jamaica’s Nickiesha Powell (left) shoots and scores ahead of Scotland’s goalkeeper Cerys Finn (second left) and Anna Fairclough (right) with Jamaica Azara Wilmot looking on. (Photo: Collin Reid courtesy of KFC and SVL)