HIGHLY?TOUTED?schoolgirls, Shonica Wharton and Sheniqua Thomas, have been named in a 12-member Barbados netball team for a tournament in Northern Ireland at month-end.
With support from Sport Northern Ireland and Antrim Borough Council, teams fromBarbados, St Luciaand Botswana willjoin the hosts.
Goal shoot Wharton, a student at Graydon Sealy Secondary, made her senior debut in Trinidad and?Tobago last year when Barbados defeated their long-standing rivals. That was 15 months ago and this will be the first time since then that Barbados will be engaged in tournament play.
Thomas, like Wharton, is a long-term investment. She made the national under-16 team at theage of 12 and has beena fixture in that squadever since.
This is a renewed show of confidence in Thomas. In August, no room was found for the exciting Combermere schoolgirl among the best under-21 players at the World Youth Netball Championships in Glasgow, Scotland but now they have a place for her among the seniors where Barbados will play teams slightly below them in the international rankings.
Barbados is ranked tenth in the world, with Northern Ireland 11th and St Lucia 12th. The southern African nation, Botswana, is ranked 18th.
Defender Jeneice Clarke returns after along break to a teamthat will once more be built around goal shoot Laurel Browne, England-based goal attack Nikita Piggott, utility player Latonia Blackman, and centre court players Sabreena Smith and Samantha Browne.
Much is also expected of wing defence Kizzy Marville and defender, Rhe-ann Niles, who like Clarke has represented Barbados in volleyball.
Kate Carpenter, Netball Northern Ireland High Performance coach,saluted Northern Ireland for organizing the event.
“This is a great opportunity for the recently selected Northern Ireland senior squad who currently rank 11th in world to compete against high level opposition.It will provide mewith an excellent opportunity to assess player performances and test different combinations over four days of competition as we head towards next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow,” she said.
BARBADOS squad:Laurel Browne, Nikita Piggott,Sheniqua Thomas, Shonica Wharton, Damisha Croney,
Samantha Browne, Sabreena Smith, Kizzy Marville, Jeneice Clarke,Rhe-ann Niles, Latonia Blackman and Shonette Azore.
Officials: Anna Shepherd (head coach), Sandra Bruce (assistant coach). Vaneisha Cadogan (manager). (MK)