Marva Bernard, the administrative head of Netball in the Americas, is hopeful that next year's Caribbean Games will provide a development boost for some regional members hit hard by the postponement of the 2021 Netball World Youth Cup.
Last week the International Netball Federation (INF) announced that the global youth tournament to be held in Fiji from June 10th-19th was postponed due to the novel coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 disease.
The world governing body has not yet given new dates for the tournament which features netballers aged 21 and under.
“The postponement is disappointing, but it's the best decision that could be made at this time when the COVID-19 pandemic is not under control in the way that the Government of Fiji would like it to be for the championship to happen in June next year,” Bernard, the Americas Federation of Netball Associations (AFNA) President, told the Jamaica Observer.
“Here in the Americas region there is to be the Caribbean Games, which is another development tournament to be held between the end of June and early July next year.
“So members who are disappointed still have the opportunity to play. It is for Under-23 players, so there is something to rock back on for developing talent,” the long-standing Jamaican netball administrator added.
The regional games is a multi-sport event sanctioned by the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC). With organizers closely monitoring the coronavirus pandemic, it is scheduled to be staged in Guadeloupe from June 30th to July 4th, 2021.
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