JOK...It shows you take what you learn from a bad experience and blossom it into something new.
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A year ago, Shimona Jok faced one of the darkest periods of her netball career.
At the close of the 2023 Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) season, the Jamaican shooter believed she would have secured a spot on another team after the dissolution of her then club, Collingwood. But as days turned to weeks, then months, Jok found herself without a contract and very little hope as her training session from there on was more out of habit than purpose.
“It hurt to know I wasn’t recognised enough to be given a contract,” Jok admitted.
“I had sleepless nights and was depressed to the point where I was wondering if I was even valued in this competition. Did anyone see me as someone to be a part of their team? I was going to the gym, but there wasn’t any motivation—I just wanted to stay in bed,” she added.
While, like most athletes, Jok wished she didn’t have to walk that path, she has now grown to appreciate that her temporary setback was a setup for a major comeback.
This, as Jok is currently in preseason preparation as a key player for the Melbourne Mavericks, following an integral performance last season, which saw her cop the club’s inaugural MVP title and, with it, a new contract
Shimona Jok interacts with a fan.
“It shows you take what you learn from a bad experience and blossom it into something new. I went to the Mavericks and thought to myself, I still get to be in a professional environment; I still get to build relationships, add to them, and they add to me. Every single day I got in the Mavericks environment, I flourished,” Jok declared.
Jok vividly recalls the day she and her Collingwood teammates were informed their team would no longer exist.
“It was crazy when it happened. I remember vividly—we were in a team meeting doing some analysis, and the CEO came in and sat us down. They weren’t very direct, but when someone asked what was happening, they told us they wouldn’t be continuing the netball program,” she shared.
Despite the devastating news, the Magpies finished their season with pride, securing two wins from their final three games, including victories over eventual premiers the Adelaide Thunderbirds and the finals-bound West Coast Fever.
“We tried to be there for each other. It was a big pill to swallow, knowing we had to finish the season off, but we did it for each other. We stuck together, showed up at training, stayed positive, and looked out for each other,” Jok explained.
After Collingwood’s collapse, Jok faced another blow of missing out on Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls 2023 World Cup squad, only being named as a reserve. What was difficult for her is the fact that she learned about it on social media.
Shimona Jok in action with the Adelaide Thunderbirds in 2018.
“I found out I was a reserve for the World Cup over social media and got told I didn’t seem committed enough,” Jok said.
“Personally, it was very difficult. I took it with a grain of salt and spoke to Latanya [Wilson], who convinced me to come to South Africa. She pointed out that this was an opportunity to go,” she noted.
Jok’s journey into netball began with a decision to forego basketball scholarships in the United States to pursue immediate earning opportunities in netball. Landing in Australia, she joined the Adelaide Thunderbirds as a replacement player in 2018.
She hit the ground running, shooting 37 goals on her SSN debut, and finished the season with 418 goals under the tutelage of current West Coast Fever coach Dan Ryan.
“I have to give Dan [Ryan] a lot of credit. He saw a lot of potential in me and really pushed me. It was amazing to know somebody believed I could be good at this. After every single week, Dan and I would sit and talk about my goals for the next game. I still have the notebook as a reminder of where I came from and where I am now,” the 6ft 5in shooter stated.
It was from there that she ended up at Collingwood, where she became one of the league’s most consistent shooters, and even then, she often felt overlooked.
Shimon Jok in action with Collingwood.
“I don’t know, to be honest—it all just comes down to who people like. I’ve been here for seven years, and the recognition new players get compared to me hurts. But you know what? There’s going to come a time where they’re not going to be able to brush over my name,” Jok said with an air of confidence.
“I feel like I’ve worked to get into a space where I’m just focused on what I can control. Every single year I’m building, every single year it’s a different Shimona, every single year it’s a different style of play,” she reasoned.
The now 25-year-old’s determination inevitably paid off, as she was drafted by the Mavericks earlier this year and felt right at home. Having learnt from her experiences over the years, Jok is now focused on continued growth for the 2025 campaign.
“I’ve had the experience of what it feels like to have genuine connections, and I feel at the Mavericks, we’ve found our feet together. Once everyone got on court, worked together, and started to realise how much we could push each other, we started to build genuine connections.
“I’m going to keep putting in the work and building those relationships. I love a good relationship because they can get you over the line no matter what,” Jok ended.
Richardson, Angus win open titles at week one of 2024 All Jamaica Badminton Championships
Tahlia Richardson and Joel Angus were the female and male open winners at week one of the 2024 All Jamaica Badminton Championships at the YMCA in Kingston over the weekend.
Richardson won the women’s open title by two sets to none (21-10, 21-14) over Alexandra Beckford while Angus won the men’s open crown two sets to one win over Craig Allison.
Angus won the first set 21-18 before Allison tied proceedings with a 21-13 second set win. Angus then prevailed 21-13 in the last set to claim the title.
It was a fruitful weekend for Richardson who also took titles in women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
She partnered with Breanna Bisnott to defeat the pair of Mikaelah Mustafaa and Jade Ranger 21-11, 21-9 in women’s doubles before teaming up with Anthony McNee to defeat Kenneth Anglin and Mustafaa 21-16, 21-7 in mixed doubles.
McNee also claimed the men’s doubles title alongside Kemar Valentine with a 21-19, 21-17 win over Craig Allison and Mickhail Williams.
Brianna Burke and Samuel Smith claimed the top female and male prizes in the new Rising Shuttler category.
Burke defeated Sue-Ann Ogle 21-9, 21-18 to claim the title while Smith won the men’s title in a walkover over Daniel Ford.
In the junior championships held on November 16 and 17, 14-year-old Amir McBean was dominant, winning the boys singles titles at the Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 level.
He won the Under-17 title 21-10, 21-5 over Jhevado Ross and won the Under-19 crown with a 21-10, 21-10 win over his brother Jorie McBean.
At Under-15, he defeated Justin Dillon 21-10, 21-5. He also teamed up with Matheus Smith to win the doubles title 21-7, 21-11 over Cameron Crooks and Nicholas Francis.
The Under-19 girls singles crown went to Jade Ranger thanks to a dominant 21-4, 21-4 win over Amelia Dawkins.
Ranger also won the titles in girls doubles and mixed doubles. She teamed up with Cassandra Russell to win the girls doubles crown 21-16, 21-2 over Daviannia Francis and Rachel Rainsford before teaming with Samuel Smith to win mixed doubles 21-3, 21-1 over Trevar Hunt and Faithe Beavfort.
Sue-Ann Ogle won a three-set affair to claim the Under-17 girls singles title over Ruthann Wadgle. Ogle lost the first set 12-21 before bouncing back to win the next two 21-13, 21-17.
Ogle also won the singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles in the Under-15 category. She won another three-setter to claim the singles title against Najia Henry, losing the first set 13-21 before rallying to win the next two 21-16 and 21-7.
She teamed up with Abigail Harvey to win the doubles title over Najia Henry and Danielle Morgan 21-9, 21-13 before her and Matheus Smith claimed the mixed doubles title in a walkover.
The other age group champions include Justin Dillon (Under-13 boys singles), Ella Belle Palmer (Under-13 girls singles), Zachary Gardner (Under-11 boys singles), Jillian Yap (Under-11 and Under-9 girls singles), Zamani Allen (Under-9 boys singles).
Ja's Cavalier FC poised for redemption in Caribbean Cup showpiece against Dom Rep's Cibao FC
Jamaica’s Cavalier FC are determined to rewrite their story as they face Dominican Republic’s Cibao FC in the highly anticipated Concacaf Caribbean Cup final.
The first leg of the two-way clash kicks off on Tuesday at 8:00pm at the National Stadium in Kingston.
Cavalier, who lost last year’s finals 0-3 on aggregate to Suriname’s Robinhood, have shown marked growth this season and will be aiming to make their second consecutive final appearance count.
Both Cavalier and Cibao FC topped their respective groups with three wins each, before topping Dominican Republic’s Moca FC and Haiti’s Real Hope 7-0 and 4-2 on aggregate in their respective semi-final clashes.
In their dominant second-leg performance, Cavalier’s offensive firepower came alive. Kaile Auvray notched a brace, while Shaquille Stein dazzled with a hat-trick. Dwayne Atkinson played a pivotal role, delivering two assists.
On the defensive end, stalwarts like Richard King, Jeovanni Laing, and Christopher Ainsworth anchored the backline, contributing to two consecutive clean sheets. Their collective brilliance earned six Cavalier players a spot in the semifinals’ Best XI.
Cibao FC, the tournament’s last unbeaten team, booked their final berth with a 4-2 aggregate win over Real Hope FA. Spearheading their attack is the in-form Rivaldo Correa, who has tallied five goals in the tournament, including two in the semifinals.
Correa’s knack for delivering in clutch moments is complemented by teammates Jean López and Juan Díaz, both of whom scored in the semis and also made the Best XI.
While both teams have already secured spots in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup, the stakes remain high. The winner on aggregate will not only claim the Caribbean Cup title but also earn a direct bye to the Round of 16 in the Champions Cup.
Cavalier’s Head coach, Rudolph Speid, has taken a meticulous approach to preparing his side for the challenge.
“It’s been good; we’ve looked at their strengths and weaknesses, and we have a plan. This time, we play the first leg at home, so we have to be on top for 180 minutes. It also places an emphasis on us not to concede, and if we do, then it’ll be a little more difficult for us to go away. I’m confident that Cavalier is capable of doing the business either home or away,” Speid said.
The home advantage in the opening leg provides Cavalier with an opportunity to set the tone, but they must remain resolute, as away goals will serve as the first tiebreaker if things are even at the end of next Tuesday’s decisive leg in the Dominican Republic.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Kaile Auvray, one of Cavalier’s standout performers, echoed similar sentiment.
“At the end of the day, it’s just football. Our objective is to go out there and get our hands on the trophy while enjoying ourselves. I feel like we’re very positive, and it’s about taking our opportunities when they come. I don’t feel much pressure; I’ve played in the Gold Cup before, and I’ve played in the Nations League, so I feel I’ve played these types of matches before,” Auvray noted.
T&T men, Jamaica women secure silver at RAN Sevens tournament
Trinidad & Tobago’s men’s team and Jamaica’s women’s team both claimed silver medals at the Rugby Americas North (RAN) Sevens tournament, which concluded Sunday at the Larry Gomes Stadium in the Twin Island Republic.
In a dominant display, Canada cruised past Trinidad and Tobago in the men’s final with a commanding 38-0 victory. Despite the defeat and missing out on qualification for the 2025 World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger Series, Trinidad and Tobago found consolation in the fact that their junior team secured a spot in the 2025 Junior Pan Am Games’ Sevens competition.
Trinidad and Tobago's captain, Shakeel Dyte, and vice captain, Ruairi O'Farrel, made valiant efforts to breach Canada’s formidable defence, but the hosts struggled against the well-oiled Canadian unit.
Jamaica took third place in the men’s division, with Mexico finishing fourth. Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Guyana, and Barbados rounded out the standings in fifth through eighth places, respectively.
In the women’s competition, heartbreak struck Jamaica in the final moments of their clash with Mexico. Leading for most of the match, Jamaica conceded two converted tries in the last 45 seconds, allowing Mexico to snatch a dramatic 19-12 victory and the gold medal.
Trinidad and Tobago’s women, however, ended on a high note, securing the bronze medal with a dominant 29-0 win over the Dominican Republic.
Both Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica would have wanted more but will take heart from the fact that they not only left the tournament with commendable performances but, more importantly, showcased their potential in regional rugby while setting the stage for further growth in the sport.
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