- Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
DP Raiders' goal keeper, Arlene Lewis (right), stretches across the face of Arnett Gardens' goal shooter, Sabrina Spence, during their JNA Western Union Division 'B' match-up at the Leila Robinson Courts yesterday. Arnett Gardens won 37-25.
Paul-Andre Walker, Staff Reporter
THE BERGER Super Netball League tips off with its opening ceremony and rally at the Leila Robinson Courts this afternoon, beginning at 4:00.
Ahead of Tuesday's first games and after receiving a million-dollar sponsorship deal from Berger Paints, the JNA plans to host a celebratory ceremony where double Olympic silver medalist Juliet Cuthbert and the world's highest Test wicket taker, Courtney Walsh, will be in attendance.
There is also an exhibition match that will see the National Under-23 squad taking on a Berger Paints All-Star team.
The All-Star exhibition game will precede a rally among the 12 teams that are slated to play in the Super League this season.
There is a potential snag in the proceedings, however, as the problems of the lights at the Leila Robinson Courts not being at optimal performance means that the rally for the teams playing in the Super League might not be completed if it gets too late.
INAUSPICIOUS START
While this is an inauspicious start to the season, it does show why netball is one of the most successful Jamaican sports as the JNA is going full speed with the proceedings nonetheless.
Plans are to have games lasting six minutes with the 12 teams dividing into four zones of three. Each team should play two games with the best four moving on to the semi-finals.
With the unusual break between the Open League and the restart of the newly renamed Super League the players are looking forward to the start of the season tomorrow.
League co-ordinator Pat Thomas is of the opinion that the break, along with the sponsorship arrangements, have served to create the heightened expectancy surrounding the start of the league.
"The anticipation of the teams is very high because of the unusual break. The hike in the sponsorship agreement has also served to create heightened expectancies because with increased sponsorship comes increased incentives for the players," Thomas said.
