Tony Becca

The World Netball Championship is over and as far as Jamaica are concerned, even though they failed to lift the crown or to finish in the runners-up spot, it was a wonderful success - on and off the field.

Going into the championship ranked number three, Jamaica did not look sharp. In fact, despite the confidence of the girls and the management team, there was a fear, not only that they may not have been able to challenge for the title, not only that they may not have been able to pick off one of defending champions New Zealand or many-time champions Australia for the number two spot, but also that that they could have lost their number three spot.

Number three spot

After going through the preliminary matches easily and losing to New Zealand in the semi-finals, however, Jamaica retained their number three spot with an exciting 53-52 victory over England, and even though there was no improvement on the previous ranking, one like Molly Rhone, the former president of the Jamaica Netball Association who is now president of the International Federation of Netball Association, one like Marva Bernard, the president of the JNA who is also the treasurer of IFNA, must have been on cloud nine.

And, with a little luck, or, as assistant coach Annette Daley was quoted as saying, had Jamaica stuck to their game plan they probably would have crashed the party, defeated New Zealand, and at least finished in the runners-up position.

What is important, however, is that despite the disappointment at the end, the Jamaicans certainly played well, and very well at that.

Injury

Going into the match as underdogs, the Sunshine Girls, led by the brilliant Romelda Aiken and stand-in captain Simone Forbes (as Elaine Davis was unable to play due to injury, who scored 30 goals from 32 attempts and 19 from 23 respectively, matched the Kiwis move for move, catch for catch, shot for shot, and after leading 16-13 at the end of the first quarter and 30-26 at the half, were trailing by just one point at the end of the third quarter.

Whatever the reason, the defending champions dominated the final quarter and stormed to victory at 59-49, and, in spite of what Daley said after the game, it may well be that New Zealand stepped up the pace or that everything went their way.

It may also be that Jamaica ran out of steam or that nothing went their way in that decisive quarter.

Before that, however, Jamaica were outstanding and they deserve high praise for a tremendous performance. And, as far as I am concerned, and also many other Jamaicans who expressed their pride day after day and at the end of the semi-final, the Sunshine Girls were also outstanding off the court.

Based on what was seen on television, the Jamaica contingent was well dressed and properly attired at every match, they looked good, and sitting together and cheering on those on the court, they looked like a team.

On top of that, it was so pleasing to hear Captain Forbes at the end of the New Zealand match.

After the New Zealand captain, the winning captain, had said her piece - and quite well at that, Forbes, the losing captain, stepped forward and delivered herself brilliantly.

A battle out there

Cool, calm and confident, with a smile and not a frown, Forbes, in answer to a question, said that it was a battle out there, that Jamaica played well for three quarters and that Jamaica went for the kill in the fourth quarter but it did not happen.

When the interviewer thanked Jamaica for a great display and for pushing New Zealand to the hilt, when she wished Jamaica well and a safe journey home, Forbes, again with a smile and after congratulating New Zealand on a great performance in a great match, confidently said: "We are not finished yet. We have something to do tomorrow."

Winning is wonderful, but, in a nutshell, that kind of spirit, win or lose, is what sport is all about - that kind of presence, of delivery, is what is expected of Jamaica's ambassadors.

On the following day Forbes went out and led Jamaica to the victory which maintained their position as the number three team in the entire world of netball - behind Australia and New Zealand, the undisputed number one and number two.