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Forbes hails Island Vibes Tournament a ‘success’
September 24, 2024
Vice-President of Netball Jamaica, Simone Forbes, hailed the recent staging of the Island Vibes Tournament a 'success'.
The four-team tournament which was played among Denbigh High, Jamaica under-16, Trinidad and Tobago's under-16 and under-18 teams gave the young players a solid platform to showcase their talent.
"I would say it was a success. This was a by-product of the Youth Summer Invitational and we gave the youngsters an opportunity to showcase themselves as we aren't used to having these type of matches at this age group. It was a success for both Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago and this is the age group that we're investing heavily in," she explained.
A former goal attack and captain of the Sunshine Girls, Forbes stated that the defensive third was the area of play that stood out the most among the teams.
"For me it would be the defence of the teams. We saw some very talented and promising defenders and this was the area that I saw the most talent in all four teams," Forbes added.
The tournament also gave keen onlookers an opportunity to witness one of the country's most promising youth players on show. According to Forbes, Denbigh's Leneice Williams' performance over the weekend might have risen her stocks in representing the senior Sunshine Girls in the near future.
"Denbigh has a goal shooter (Leneice Williams) who I think is phenomenal just for her age. She's 16, she got injured in the Youth Summer Invitational and returned to play in the Island Vibes Tournament. She has the potential and I can see her being a Sunshine Girl," she said.
Forbes revealed that there's already interest from other countries to be part of the 2025 staging of the Island Vibes Netball Tournament.
"This is the launching pad and we want this to be a yearly event. It's not just about the netball playing, but the technical aspects and the coaching workshops that we run. We believe it will work, bear fruit as we believe in the grassroots and building the sport," Forbes shared.
"We already have two to three countries who want to come next year and be part of the weekend event," Forbes revealed.
