Sweet Revenge for Barbados U16 Netballers Against St. Lucia

Barbados Shooter on the Ball

 Barbados are back in the runnings to becoming this year's CNA Jean Pierre U16 Netball Champions.  As I chanted a little "I say B for Barbados" to myself in the stands, I could feel the positive energy radiating from the Barbados team for this game.  They wanted a this victory and played their hearts out from the first whistle catching the St. Lucians flat footed and taking an early 5 goal lead which the St. Lucians pull back to a decent 9 -7 to Barbados by the end of the first quarter.

Barbados led all intervals 9-7, 18-15, 26-19 to finish with a well fought 33-31.  The starting line up for Barbados was (GS) Shonica Wharton, (GA) Sheniqua Thomas, (WA) Tia Jones, (C) Tyneisha Rowe,  (WD) Sade Browne, (GD) Sade Sargeant, and (GK) Shanice Wharton.

St. Lucia fought valiantly in the final quarter but the Barbados third quarter lead was too much and at the end it was the Bajans jumping for victory.

The two top teams this year will be striving to get big scores in their final games as they seek to improve their goal averages.  In the shooting area goal shooter Wharton scored 33 0f 29 while Thomas netted 5 of 9.

St. Lucia U16 talking to coaching staff

Other morning games.  Guyana 23 Anguilla 19
Trinidad and Tobago 32 - Dominica 19
Bermuda 19 - St. Kitts 12

Barbados U16 

Bermuda On A Roll Again

Bermuda is defending their title as the number 1 developmental team in the Jean Pierre Under 16 CNA Championship spendidly.  The girls are some tough cookies willing to sacrifice their bodies as they out hussel their opponents.  Tonight they solidify their chances at the title again by defeating their main challengers for the crown, home team St. Kitts.  See some glimpses of the Bermudans in an earlier game against Guyana.

Bermuda in blue, red and white on the attack against Guyana

Under 16 Barbados

Could not start the AFNA qualifiers without congratulating Jamaica on winning the Jean Pierre CNA under 16 tournament in Barbados.

Easily the weakest Jamaica under 16 team I have seen in a long while (no giants nor overly athletic looking, could pass for seniors girls) it tells us how far the rest of the Caribbean have to go to catch up to Jamaica not just on skills but on pure guts and determination.

Photographer Grantley Sealy has kindly shared his photos from the tournament with me which will be placed on this site in an album at the end of the month so look out for it. For prosterity, The final standing were:

1st Jamaica

2nd Barbados

3rd Trinidad and Tobago

4th St. Lucia

5th St. Vincent and the Grenadines

6th Grenada

7th Dominica

In the Group B section Bermuda demonstrated some impressive skills to place 1st, Guyana who played in the top group last year were second, St. Kitts 3rd and the Cayman Island 4th.

Gloria Ballantyne - Outstanding Netball Administrator

Say St. Vincent Netball and the name Ballantyne comes to mind immediately. Involved with St. Vincent's netball for decades now, I was to first meet this fine lady at my first netball tournament representing Barbados back in 1986 in St. Lucia.

Of this meeting, I remember being new to the team and sitting on the bench for a number of games. I represented the team in the netball pageant which I won and I remember Ballantyne teasing me that I was brought along not to play but for the queen show (she has a wonderful sense of humour). Thankfully I got on court the next day and went on to represent Barbados until 1993.

Gloria Ballantyne has held a number of positions on the Caribbean Netball Association's Board. She is the Vice President of the National Olympic Committee. She is the current Treasurer of the Americas Federation of Netball Associations and Convenor of the Regional Umpires Committee. She is also serving as Deputy Chairperson of the National Sports Council. Gloria Ballantyne, the longest serving president of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Netball Association, has been dubbed by the National Olympic Academy, "The Nation's First Lady of Sport". She has been the recipient of an OBE from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

I caught up with Mrs. Ballantyne recently at the U16 tournament in Antigua. She had just celebrated her 70th birthday, was in fine condition and still showing off her shapely netball legs. Great going Ms B!