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• Ready to shine: Zaudi Green, Tiffany Langley share expectations as Sunshine Girls brace for Fast5 challenge

  When Zaudi Green and Tiffany Langley boarded their flight bound for New Zealand on Friday, their hearts were filled with more than the anticipation of travel—they were carrying high expectations of a Sunshine Girls team, aiming to give a good account at the Fast5 Netball World Series and make Jamaica proud.

  Green and Langley are part of a young and relatively untested squad stepping onto one of netball’s most electrifying stages, but despite the inexperience, the pair exude a calm assurance that they’re ready for the task ahead. The opportunity for these players to make their mark opened up as the more experienced players from the Netball World Cup bronze medal-winning team prepare to lock horns with England in the four-match Vitality Horizon series.

  “The mood in the camp is very vibrant and filled with love and togetherness as our bond grows stronger each day as we head into the tournament. Our goal is to give a performance that will make Jamaicans proud,” Green, a defensive standout, told SportsMax.Tv.

  “We know that people might think our lack of experience puts us at a disadvantage, but we’ve trained hard and have all the faith in our abilities,” she added.

  

  This year's Fast5 series, like previous editions, promises to be fiercely competitive, bringing together six of the world’s top netballing nations—New Zealand, Australia, England, Jamaica, South Africa, and Uganda—in Christchurch for two days of action on November 9-10.

  Competing against established and formidable powerhouses, the Sunshine Girls task of getting on the podium will by no means be easy. Still, Green and Langley’s confidence is unshaken, driven by an eagerness to improve on last year’s fifth-place finish.

  “We’re coming with everything we’ve got,” declared Langley, a quick-footed centre, who brings speed and vision to the squad’s offensive game.

  “We’ve been pushing ourselves in every training session, knowing that each moment counts when you’re up against teams like Australia, England, and New Zealand. We know our capabilities, and now it’s just about executing when we’re out on that court,” she shared.

  Although Fast5 netball has a faster pace and modified scoring rules that often require strategic adjustments, both players believe the Sunshine Girls are ready to embrace the challenge.

  The Jamaican style—a blend of speed, agility, and flair—suits the tournament format, and Green and Langley believe they can make it work to their advantage.

  

  In fact, Head coach Dalton Hinds and his assistant Nardia Hanson, have emphasized teamwork, resilience, and adaptability as essential skills for the youthful team to succeed.

  “The coaches have really instilled confidence in us, so even with the challenges we face as a younger squad, we’re well-prepared to handle anything that comes our way. The last few days of training have been intense and productive as we worked on fine-tuning some key areas to ensure that we are ready for the task at hand,” Green stated.

  For Green, 25, the chance to represent her country on this international stage is a personal triumph and an opportunity to inspire young netballers back home.

  “I am hoping to perform well to make my mark as a new member of the squad. From a team perspective, it’s about making a statement and rising above expectations because we want the younger players to see that they, too, can reach the international stage if they work hard and believe in themselves,” the bubbly player noted.

  Meanwhile, Langley, 24, welcomed the dynamics of the Fast5 format, which will provide both a mental and physical test.

  “It’s a unique challenge, but we’re ready to adapt. We’ve done a lot of work to ensure we give a good account of ourselves, and we want to go home with heads held high, knowing we gave our best and represented our country with pride,” she ended.

  Squad: Shadine Bartley, Paula-Ann Burton, Simone Gordon, Zaudi Green, Tiffany Langley, Roxanna McLean, Amanda Pinkney, Kimone Shaw, Kestina Sturridge, Corneilia Walters

• Alfred grateful for continued recognition after Olympic success in Paris

  St. Lucian Olympic champion Julien Alfred is grateful to continue to receive recognition for her historic achievements at the Paris Olympics in August.

  On Wednesday, the 23-year-old took home the award of best female athlete of Paris 2024 at the Association of National Olympic Committee (ANOC) Awards ceremony held in Cascais, Portugal.

  Alfred stormed to a historic 100m gold medal in Paris, the first Olympic medal in St. Lucia’s history.

  “It’s truly an amazing feeling getting the love and support. I was not expecting so many praises, tonight especially, but it’s an amazing feeling knowing that my sacrifices and hard work are being celebrated and I’m truly grateful for it,” Alfred said after receiving her award.

  She also spoke of her status as a role model for youngsters in St. Lucia and the importance of making them feel like nothing is impossible once you work towards it.

  “It’s truly inspiring. Growing up, I looked at Usain Bolt and Levern Spencer, one of my countrywomen, but to be able to be standing here inspiring the youth is something that I’ve always dreamt of and it makes me feel like all my hard work is paying off,” she said.

  “Now it’s time to continue to inspire the nation and the youth that no matter where you’re from, you can always work towards your dream,” she added.

  Another history maker, Botswana’s 200m Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo, took home the award for best male athlete at Paris 2024.

  The award for best male team went to Denmark Handball while the best female team went to Italy Volleyball.

  The best male team in individual sports award went to Japan Artistic Gymnastics while the female award went to Great Britain Track Cycling.

  Austria’s Lukas Mahr and Lara Vadlau took home the award for best mixed team while Chinese six-time Olympic Table Tennis champion Ma Long and New Zealand’s eight-time Olympic gold medallist in canoeing Lisa Carrington took home the male and female outstanding career awards, respectively.

• Flawless victory: Ja's Cavalier maul Dom Rep's Moca FC 7-0 to book spot in Caribbean Cup final

  Jamaica’s reigning Premier League champions Cavalier FC booked a spot in the Concacaf Caribbean Cup final for a second consecutive year after they mauled Dominican Republic’s Moca FC 7-0 in a lopsided second leg semifinal tie at the National Stadium on Wednesday.

  A hat-trick from Suriname's Shaquille Stein (6th, 45+3, 62nd) and a brace from Trinidad and Tobago’s Kaile Auvray (1st, 51st) did most of the damage for Cavalier, while Christopher Ainsworth (39th) and Dwayne Atkinson (79th) also got in on the act.

  With the win, Cavalier, who lost last year’s final to Suriname’s Robinhood, now have a shot at redemption as they await the winner of the second semi-final between Dominican Republic’s Cibao FC and Haiti’s Real Hope in the showpiece. By virtue of making the final, Cavalier also secured a return to next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup.

  Head coach Rudolph Speid was pleased but also surprised at the margin of victory, especially after being held to a goalless stalemate in the first leg.

  “It was very pleasing. We didn’t expect to win by such a large margin; however, this is our third time playing them, so they aren’t strangers to us,” Speid said.

  Cavalier wasted little time to make their intentions known as Auvray found the opener shortly after kickoff when he drove home a firm left-footer from a distance.

  The Jamaican team struck again before Moca could regroup as Stein expertly headed home from Jalmaro Calvin’s weighted cross five minutes later.

  Ainsworth extended the lead when he converted from the penalty spot as Moca FC’s custodian Miguel Baez was left flat-footed.

  Stein then notched his second and Cavalier’s fourth with another comfortable finish as they went to the break 4-0 up.

  With the writing on the wall, frustration set in, and Moca lost Baez and Jesus Correa to straight red cards and, as such, contested the second half with nine players.

  Cavalier showed no mercy and made full use of the numerical advantage when Auvray completed his brace with another well-struck effort from outside the 18-yard box.

  Stein completed his hat-trick soon after to move his tally to seven so far in the tournament, before Atkinson added his name to the scoresheet from the penalty spot 11 minutes from time.

  Despite the loss, Moca FC still stand a chance of making the Champions Cup, provided they come out tops in the third-place playoff.