As of now T&T senior netball team will play no part in next year’s Gold Coast Commonwealth Games to be held in Brisbane, Australia.
The “Calypso Girls” recent 3-0 loss to Barbados in a three-match series has proven to be detrimental, dropping the national team four spots from ninth place to 13th on International Netball Federation (INF) ranking list.
On Saturday, the INF updated its rankings to reflect matches played between the March 20 and July 1. Matches played between July 2014 and June 2016 now have a 50 per cent weighting, those played since July 2016 (and up to June 2018) are weighted at 100 per cent. Matches played before July 2014 are no longer included in determining the world rankings.
The latest rankings include matches from the T&T versus Barbados, Jamaica vs Barbados, USA vs Bermuda, Uganda vs Malawi, Zambia vs Namibia, Northern Ireland vs Ireland, Netball Europe Open (Challenge Section), Northern Ireland Summer Quad Series and Africa Netball Cup.
T&T took on the Barbados “Gems” in a series hosted by the Dr Patricia Bucther-led T&T Netball Association (TTNA) at the National Cycling Centre in Balmain, Couva last month and was brushed aside 46-32 in the opening match, 47-37 in the second and 44-40 in the third and final match-up. Two weeks earlier, the Barbadians drew another three-match series, 1-1, with Caribbean powerhouse Jamaica.
The success of the Bajan team now sees them move up one place to 11 which means if the Games were to start today, they are in and T&T is out.
The top eight teams remain unchanged—Australia, New Zealand, England, Jamaica, South Africa, Malawi, Fiji and Wales, respectively. Uganda replaced T&T in ninth spot, moving up four places as a result of defeating Malawi and winning the Africa Netball Cup.
Amongst other changes, Northern Ireland moved up to 10 after winning the Summer Quad series between Barbados, Singapore, Ireland and Northern Ireland and the test series against Ireland. As a result of the Netball Europe Open between Ireland, Gibraltar, Bermuda and Israel, Ireland has climbed up two places to 22 and Gibraltar climb three places to 29. Bermuda gain a ranking of 28 and Israel gain a ranking of 36 along with Namibia who gain a ranking of 37 as a result of facing Zambia.
Twelve (12) teams will be selected by INF to compete in the netball competition at Gold Coast 2018. The host nation is entitled to enter one team and the top 11 Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) in the INF world rankings, having consideration for regional representation. Where at least four of the six CGF regions are non-represented continent will be selected within these 11 teams.
At present the senior team under the guidance of head coach Wesley “Pepe” Gomes is preparing to compete in a ranking tournament in St Lucia next month, hoping to return among the top 12-ranked teams. St Lucia is currently ranked 19th.
Place Team Played Weighted Points Rating
1 Australia 38 24 5060 211
2 New Zealand 46 31 5778 186
3 England 48 29 4623 159
4 Jamaica 27 18 2684 149
5 South Africa 33 21 2874 137
6 Malawi 23 15 1754 117
7 Fiji 16 8 921 115
8 Wales 28 15 1667 111
9 Uganda 22 16 1724 108
10 N Ireland 29 19 1913 101
11 Barbados 30 20 1997 100
12 Scotland 26 14 1301 93
13 T&T 31 17 1545 91