Sunshine Girls star Romelda Aiken has become an Australian citizen
The almost two-metre tall shooter officially became a citizen of the Land Down Under at her Queensland Firebirds home ground, Nissan Arena on Sunday.
“I am very excited about it. It’s a different opportunity and I cant wait to see what comes of it,” said an enthused Aiken.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have been a part of something so amazing, to be a part of the Firebirds for so many years. They took me under their wings from the first day I got here and I think it’s a massive opportunity, again, to find my spot in the country.”
The 31-year-old Sunshine Girl signed for the Queensland Firebirds in Australia’s ANZ Championship in 2008 and 12 years later has become the team’s longest-serving player. She won two championships there and was the MVP in 2008 and 2009.
In 2014, she became the first player to score 3500 goals in the ANZ Championship.
Aiken’s sister, Nicole, a former Sunshine Girls defender, announced the move on her Facebook page and the news was ‘liked’ by several members of the Sunshine Girls for whom Aiken has played since 2005.
Former Netball Jamaica president, Marva Bernard, also welcomed the news.
Playing for Jamaica, Aiken won bronze medals at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games and silver medals at the Netball World Championships in 2007 and the Fastnet World Netball Series in 2009.
The question remains, however, whether she will continue to represent the Sunshine Girls whom she last played for last July during the 2019 Netball World Cup in Liverpool, England.