Sunshine Girls still in need of funds

With just over a month to go before the start of this year’s Netball World Cup in Liverpool, England, president of Netball Jamaica (NJ), Dr Paula Daley-Morris, has said her organisation is still seeking financial assistance to send the Sunshine Girls to the championships. The tournament will be held from July 12-21.

Daley-Morris told The Gleaner that NJ’s recent fundraising events went well but that her association is still looking for funds to offset the cost of the team’s overseas training camp.

“This is an opportunity for the ordinary man to contribute,” she said. “We have made significant efforts in our fundraising and getting people to contribute, but we have not covered all our expenses, so any contribution that we get at this point will be welcomed.

“We have covered the expenses for the airline, accommodation, and food, and so on, but we still have the camp, and not all the expenses for the camp are covered, so we are still a couple million dollars out.”

Daley-Morris said NJ will be staging a number of fundraising events closer to the tournament, which they will use to try to offset their shortfall.

The Sunshine Girls, who are ranked third in the world, will enter next month’s championships on a high, having won the bronze medal at last year’s Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.

World champions Australia are the No. 1-ranked team in the world, ahead of New Zealand.

Daley-Morris said the team has been working hard in their build-up towards the tournament and everyone is very focused on the task ahead.

“They are not about to let anything disturb their rhythm, so they are focusing on playing and to do Jamaica proud,” she said. “We really need to get them there and to get them there comfortably, so we really need the support of everyone.”