NJ seeking major sponsors for Sunshine Girls

Netball Jamaica (NJ) President Karen Rosen-Baugh says the organisation is actively seeking a major investor to support the Sunshine Girls’ quest for a historic gold medal at next year’s Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia.

The Sunshine Girls, one of Jamaica’s most successful national sports teams, are coming off back-to-back silver-medal performances at the Commonwealth Games after finishing second in Glasgow, Scotland earlier this month.

Rosen-Baugh says greater financial investment will be critical as Jamaica continues its pursuit of a first World Cup title.

“We always need funding, but we need investment, and we need investment in a team that has shown not just heart and courage and excellence in playing, but consistency in playing at the top,” she said.

“We keep pushing for that global gold medal, and we are not going to stop pushing for it. We need investment from the Jamaican companies. We want to thank the sponsors that we have had and continue to be by our side as we continue to build a really good elite programme, and so we are always looking for sponsors,” she said.

Rosen-Baugh added that NJ is seeking a shoe sponsor for the Sunshine Girls to ease some of the financial burden off the association.

“We would love to have a shoe sponsor because we don’t have a shoe sponsor at the moment, and we would love for someone to come on board and sponsor our Girls,” she said.

The four-match series will see Jamaica play two matches in London, on November 21 and 22, before returning home for two games on December 5 and 6.

Rosen-Baugh expects the series to provide an important opportunity for the selectors and coaching staff to assess the players ahead of the World Cup.

“We are having the Horizon Series, which is coming up in November and December of this year, and remember that we have a four-year contract with them and this is Year Three,” she said. “So, the selectors will have their work cut out for them to select the right team to represent Jamaica.”

Rosen-Baugh also shared that the series will form an important part of Jamaica’s World Cup preparations and should create intense competition for places.

“It is also part of our preparations for the 2027 World Cup, and so I do expect there to be intense competition for places on the team, and so we will see which players will rise to the occasion.

“We have had mixed results against them over the last couple of years, so we know, on a good day, when we go head-to-head, we can come out on top,” she said.

Rosen-Baugh noted that their intention is “to really test the programme that we have put together and the players that we have at our disposal. So, it’ll be a test for the selectors and coaches in putting a team together.”