Improved ranking raises local netball profile - Nevers “ Improved ranking raises local netball profile – Nevers – Nevers ”

Winston Nevers, assistant coach of the national senior netball team, said the country's elevation in the International Netball Federation (INF) world rankings will help to boost the sport locally.

The Sunshine Girls moved one spot up from third to second in the latest INF rankings which was announced on Monday. The feat marks the highest world ranking for the Sunshine Girls since Netball Jamaica was established in 1959.

The move also comes just over a week before the Sunshine Girls' participation at the World Cup, which begins on July 12 in Liverpool, England.

Nevers, who has been coaching for over 30 years, told STAR Sports that the Sunshine Girls' improvement in the world rankings will help to attract a lot more persons to the sport.

"I know that netball in Jamaica is going to take a huge step forward now because this present administration has been doing a lot of work and we need to maintain this going forward," Nevers said.

"Once we maintain this, then we should be able to take our performance at the netball world tournaments to another level," he said.

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The veteran coach added that the Sunshine Girls are very delighted with this achievement, and it will certainly give them a lot more confidence ahead of the tournament.

"It feels beautiful because when we got the news, we were at training and it was one big excitement, and that has given the team a major lift before the start of the Netball World Cup," he said.

"The team has been training well since we arrived in Manchester and the players are very focused and they're determined to do well."

The Sunshine Girls, who have finished fourth at the two previous Netball World Cups in 2011 and 2015, will open their campaign against Fiji on July 12.