A month after announcing that they would be absent from next week’s Netball World Cup Sydney 2027 Qualifier Americas in Barbados, Team Saint Lucia are back in, thanks to an outpouring of support from the corporate sector, private citizens, and government.
The Piton Sparks were officially presented on Thursday afternoon, during a sending-off ceremony at Olympic House in La Clery. The 12-member squad departs Saint Lucia on Sunday, and begins play at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex on Monday against Canada.
The Sparks are fresh off making history with a bronze medal on debut at the Central American and Caribbean Games. But the group that will compete in Barbados has some new faces, compared to the team that excelled in the Dominican Republic in August.
Unfortunately, young shooter Neriah Charlery has been ruled out through injury. Megan Nestor has returned to playing professional basketball in Europe. Captain Melika Destang is off to school, and Roxanne Snyder is unavailable.
The returning core includes captain Jermia Martial and vice-captain Aaliyah Estephor, teenagers Lizzy Dorvius and Naija Ferdinand, attacker Dasha Eugene, Lerkisha Felix, Kiana Nelson, and
Patrina Wilson.
Coming in for the trip to Barbados are Verne Alexander, national footballer Racquel Johnm Saphia William, and repeat Netballer of the Year, Shem Maxwell. The team is managed by Jo Ann Anderson, and coached by Donnalyn Joseph, with Eva Stanislaus as physiotherapist.
Saint Lucia are firmly in the middle of the rankings for the upcoming tournament, at 26th in the world. Behind them are Canada (30), USA (40), and British Virgin Islands (46). Ahead of them, however, are Trinidad & Tobago (12), St Vincent & the Grenadines (18), hosts Barbados (19), and Grenada (24).
Saint Lucia plays Barbados on Tuesday and BVI on Wednesday, before a break on Thursday. They then face Grenada on Friday, with TTO expected to be their toughest test next Saturday. They close off on Sunday and Monday against USA and SVG.
Netball Saint Lucia president Sanya Antoine noted that the journey has not been easy to this point, and acknowledged that as recently as four weeks ago, the organisation and the players had given up hope of being able to compete at all.
Among the organisations that came aboard to support the Sparks are the Saint Lucia Olympic Committee, Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, Youth Economy Agency, FLOW, Subway, and the Rayneau Group of Companies.
