Robert Bailey, Gleaner WriterJAMAICAN INTERNATIONAL netball umpire Sylvester Campbell will leave the island next Wednesday to officiate in a two-Test series between world champions Australia and hosts New Zealand.
The first Test will be in Christchurch on September 17 and the second, two days later in Auckland - the same venue that Campbell and countryman Dalton Hinds officiated in last year's World Championship final between the two teams. Campbell yesterday said he was delighted to be invited to officiate in a series like this.
"It's a big honour for me to be called up to officiate in the series between Australia and New Zealand, because to be selected to take part in a series like this, you have to be on top of your game," Campbell said.
Campbell added that despite the competitive nature of both sides, he was physically and mentally prepared for the pressure.
raring to go
"I am pretty ready for this series because I have been doing a lot of fitness work in the gym on a daily basis," he said.
"I am not worried about any pressure because I have been there before on a number of occasions and I know what to expect.
"This is going to be a very competitive series, because with the new International Federation Netball Association (IFNA) world ranking system now in place, no one wants to lose, they either want to maintain their position or improve on it."
The 39-year-old Campbell received the International Umpires Association (IUA) Award in 2005 from IFNA, underlining his status as one of the top umpires on the international stage.
Jamaica has a number of 'A' umpires (the top ranking for local officials) but only Campbell and Hinds can officiate in international matches because they are IUA awardees.
Campbell is also the head coach of Tivoli Gardens and Omega netball teams and has conditioned a number of national players including Kasey Evering, Peta-Gaye Thomas and Cleopatra Grant.
