Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls Cop Lime Caribbean American Netball Cup

CaribPR Wire, Weds. Sept. 1, 2010: Multiple champions Jamaica completed an unprecedented double last Sunday at Lincoln Terrace Park in Brooklyn, NY when the New York Sunshine Girls were again crowned champions in both the senior and junior divisions of the LIME-sponsored Caribbean American Netball Association’s (CANA) Caribbean Cup Tournament.

 Oozing confidence, the New York Sunshine Girls beat back all other teams, as they copped yet another title in a competition they have dominated over the years. Under the tutelage of Coach Sonia Sewell, the former Jamaica national representative, the Jamaican team was ruthless in disposing of all challengers in the finale of the summer netball season.

 The Seniors defeated Barbados, 23-18 in the finals to complete a very productive afternoon for the ‘black, green and gold’ standard bearers. The Juniors had earlier turned back Grenada, 18-15, to set the stage for the seniors to complete the double in a stirring end of season display before a colorful crowd numbering in the thousands.

 On their way to the title, the Sonia Sewell-coached senior squad was to suffer a minor hiccup by falling to Grenada 18-16 in a keenly contested preliminary game.  Grenada edged Jamaica after the New York Sunshine girls had taken an early lead in the game.

The Jamaicans then inexplicably chose to expend as much energy bickering among themselves and with the game officials, than actually playing netball. However, the Jamaican girls would later re-group to make light work of the game as they overmatched, Sri Lanka (the only non-West Indian team in the competition) and the other challengers to barrel their way to the final.

Teams representing Jamaica, Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sri Lanka and Barbados played in the round robin tournament, which brought the curtain down on the summer long netball fiesta, sponsored by telecom provider LIME, the new approach to Cable & Wireless.

According to Andrea Bullens, the marketing manager of BullzII Marketing, Inc.,  LIME’s sponsorship of the netball tournament is a seamless progression in the company’s effort to break into the New York market.

“LIME is new to this market and as the platinum sponsors of the netball tournament, gives us a chance to partner with a grassroots base,” she said.

The 2010 CANA season comprised three competitions, the divisional tournament and the KO tournament involving over 30 clubs and the Caribbean Cup championship.

PHOTO CAPTION: Sheldon Keens Douglas, LIME’s Regional Head of Sponsorship, presents the trophy to a representative of the winning team.  (Sharon Bennett image)