Sunshine Girls off to Fast5 Champs

Robert Bailey, Sunday Gleaner Writer

Jamaica's Sunshine Girls left the island yesterday for the World Fast5 Netball Championships, which will be held in Auckland, New Zealand, from November 8-10.

The Oberon Pitterson-Nattie-coached Sunshine Girls 10-member team will be headed by top goal shooters Romelda Aiken and Jhaniele Fowler.

Aiken, along with defender Malysha Kelly, are the co-captains of the Sunshine Girls team. They will be joined in the team by Paula Thompson, who last represented Jamaica at the World Netball Championships in Singapore in 2011.

The team also includes five members of the team that won the bronze medal at the World Youth Netball Championships (WYNC) in Glasgow, Scotland, in August.

Expect good showing

They are Vangelee Williams, Shamera Sterling, Shanice Beckford, Khadijah Williams and Thristina Hardwood. The other member of the squad is Vanessa Walker. Aiken said she is expecting a good showing from the squad.

"I think we will do fairly well," said Aiken. "I think we have a good set of girls going over there that will do us very proud.

"We know the task ahead, and we know what we are going to come up against, and so we just need to put it together as a team," Aiken said.

Only the top-six teams in the world are allowed to compete in the Fast5 World Championships, which will be held over three days. They are New Zealand (one), Australia (two), England (three), Jamaica (four), Malawi (five) and South Africa (six).

The Sunshine Girls, who finished fourth in the last championships, will take on South Africa in their opening game on November 8th.

Netballers' profiles

• MALYSHA KELLY (Co-CAPTAIN)

DOB: JANUARY 14, 1990

Age: 23

Fast5 Positions: GD, GK

Height: 6'1"

Occupation: Student (University of the West Indies, Mona)

Club: UWI Pelicans

First Played at Senior Level: 2008 Tri-Series, SA/T&T (Jamaica)

• ROMELDA AIKEN (Co-CAPTAIN)

DOB: NOVEMBER 19, 1988

AGE: 25

Fast5 POSITIONS: GS, GA

HEIGHT: 6' 5"

Occupation: Professional netball player

Professional Team & Club: Queensland Firebirds (ANZ Championship) & Jamalco Netball Club

First Played at Senior Level: 2006 vs England (Jamaica)

Professional career:

Holds the ANZ record of 1st player to score over 3,000 career goals during her 6th season in 2013.

The 2013 season was the best ever with 591 goals in season and 667 goals, including play-offs

One of 6 nominees for MVP Award

Number One rebounder with the Firebirds reaching the ANZ Championship finals.

Voted by the team as the Firebirds' Players' Player for the player who contributed the most to the team both on and off the court.

• JHANIELE FOWLER

DOB: JULY 21, 1989

Age: 24

Fast5 Positions: GS

Height: 6' 5"

Occupation: Professional netball player

Club: Southern Steel (ANZ Championship) & Waulgrovians Sports Club

First Played at Senior Level: 2010 vs England (Jamaica)

Professional career:

Smashed every ANZ record in her 2013 rookie season

Most goals scored in a match (65) achieved 2 times

Most goals scored in a season (666 goals) with 52.1 average per game and 94% accuracy.

Voted the 2013 ANZ Most Valuable Player, Best New Talent and All Star Team (Shooter)

• VANGELEE WILLIAMS

DOB: MAY 26, 1992

Age: 21

Fast5 Positions: GK, GD

Height: 5' 9"

Occupation: Student (Mico University College)

First Played at Senior Level: 2011 FastNet (Liverpool)

Captain of the Under-21 bronze medal team to the World Youth Netball Championships (WYNC) in August 2013

One of 4 Jamaican Under-21 team members named by Netball Planet as a Top-10 Future Star at the WYNC

• SHAMERA STERLING

DOB: OCTOBER 21, 1995

Age: 18

Fast5 Positions: GK, GD

Height: 6'1"

Occupation: Student (The Queen's School)

Club: Waulgrovians Sports Club

First Played at Senior Level: 2012 vs South Africa (Jamaica)

Member of the Under-21 bronze medal team, World Youth Netball Championships (WYNC) in August 2013

One of 4 Jamaican Under-21 team members named by Netball Planet as a Top-10 Future Star at the WYNC

• SHANICE BECKFORD

DOB: APRIL 16, 1995

Age: 18

Fast5 Positions: GA

Height: 5'7"

Occupation: Student (The Queen's School)

Club: Waulgrovians Sports Club

First Played at Senior Level: 2013 vs England (Jamaica)

Member of the Under-21 bronze medal team, World Youth Netball Championships (WYNC) in August 2013

• KHADIJAH WILLIAMS

DOB: DECEMBER 29, 1994

Age: 19

Fast5 Positions: C

Height: 5' 5"

Occupation: Student (The Queen's School)

Club: Waulgrovians Sports Club

First Played at Senior Level: 2013 vs England (Jamaica)

Member of the Under-21 bronze medal team, World Youth Netball Championships (WYNC) in August 2013

One of 4 Jamaican Under-21 team members named by Netball Planet as a Top-10 Future Star at the WYNC

• VANESSA WALKER

DOB: MARCH 19, 1990

Age: 23

Fast5 Positions: GA, GS

Height: 5' 10"

Occupation: Student (Loughborough University)

Club: Unattached

First Played at Senior Level: 2008 Tri-Series, SA/T&T (Jamaica)

• PAULA THOMPSON

DOB: NOVEMBER 17,1984

Age: 29

Fast5 Positions: GD, C

Height: 5' 10"

Occupation: Physical Education teacher

Club: Waulgrovians Sports Club

First Played at Senior Level: 2007 vs England (Jamaica)

• THRISTINA HARWOOD

DOB: JUNE 20, 1994

Age: 19

Fast5 Positions: GA, GS

Height: 5' 9"

Occupation: Student (University of the West Indies)

High School: St Andrew High School

Club: UWI Pelicans

First Played at Senior Level: 2013 vs England (Jamaica)

Member of the Under-21 bronze medal team, World Youth Netball Championships (WYNC) in August 2013

One of four Jamaican Under-21 team members named by Netball Planet as a Top-10 Future Star at the WYNC

• Oberon Pitterson Nattie, head coach

Head Coach of the Sunshine Girls

Head Coach of the Under-21 bronze medal team, World Youth Netball Championships (WYNC) in August 2013