By Iva Wharton
The Guyana Netball Association (GNA) stands a chance of benefiting financially from the International Federation of Netball Associations (IFNA).
So says Molly Rhone, President of the IFNA/AFNA (Americas Federation of Netball Associations) who said that once certain conditions are met, Guyana will be able to garner much needed financial help.
Rhone made that disclosure in an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sport at the closing ceremony of the IFNA Championships in Trinidad and Tobago recently.
According to Rhone, netball is growing in the Caribbean but that growth is happening in the number of countries participating instead of technical competence.
“But that is also because the Americas Federation/International Federation of Netball Associations has enough paid people to help the countries so we can give them a grant.
“But when I look around, most countries have an administration but it is all voluntary. And if you look at Jamaica that has a secretariat, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa the teams that are at the top what do they all have in common, they have a secretariat with at least one paid person.”
Jamaica, she explained, has four paid personnel.
“Because when you have the administration then you could do a plan for your team. You cannot have a good team I believe without proper administration. So I think we should try to get the NOCs or the government to give the countries some amount of money so they can at least have a home. At least one paid person because it is very difficult for everybody to be working full-time and then you have to plan. When are you going to plan for the team? At nights? You really have to think about it. Because training a team is more than just teaching them how to play. You have to think about the nutrition, they have to balance a whole lot of time management. There is school time or there is university time with play.”
Before training, Rhone said, the body has to be fully ready “because what they do back home in Jamaica is as soon as they make the team you send them to the doctor to make sure that they are medically fit. You also need the scouts, the persons who are going to go out and get the girls for you because height really has an advantage today; there is no doubt about it.”
Watching Guyana play, Rhone said she was very impressed with the team, “because normally you would think of Guyana as school children and it’s good to know that you have some leagues.”
Guyana, she said, has lots of athletic people and drew reference to Guyana’s cricketers “so there is no reason why the girls should be any less, so it’s just to garner.”
Guyana, she said, is a stark reminder of what Canada used to be when they started competing in the championship but they have since improved winning three games at this year’s championships.
Rhone said that Guyana’s team should not give up after its performances in Trinidad but should continue as change will come once they train hard.
