Netball continues to trail behind other sports, partly due to a lack of resources. However, the junior team’s win in Barbados, the selection of a senior team and Emanie’s return bodes well for the future of the sport.
In Guyana, netball is played competitively by women only and it remains one of several women’s sports that continue to take a backseat to men’s events. The local teams participated in two tournaments in the region: the Caribbean Netball Association (CNA) Under-16 Championships in Barbados in April and the senior team’s participation at an invitational tournament in Barbados in September.
The junior team’s performance showed some improvement from 2009 when they lost all their matches. Last year they won their first match against Bermuda by a slim margin of one point, 29-28.
They also struggled to a draw against St Kitts, (29-29). The team was also given a special award for the discipline it displayed both on and off the court.
On the other hand, the seniors lost all their matches at the tournament. Some improvement was seen in their game as the matches progressed but their opponents always proved stronger. The CNA also held its AGM parallel to the tournament and president of the Guyana Netball Association (GNA) Maxine Parris-Aaron was elected as first vice-president.
The GNA bore the full weight of the expenses incurred for both tournaments as, like other sports;