KINGSTON–Caribbean netball superpower Jamaica is confident it can make a big impact at the Commonwealth Games which get under way Wednesday in Glasgow.The Sunshine Girls, as the exciting Jamaica side has come to be known, will do battle in Pool A alongside New Zealand, Malawi, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Caribbean minnows St Lucia.Top shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Reid said not only had the side worked hard in preparing for the tournament but the spirit in the team had also been encouraging."Things have been going really good because not only is the camaraderie in the team excellent, but the players are putting out the work. Everybody is happy and ready to face challenges that are ahead of us," Fowler-Reid told the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper.
At the last Commonwealth Games staged in India four years ago, Jamaica finished fourth, after losing to eventual champions New Zealand in the semi-finals and then to England in the third-place play-off. Jamaica was also forced to settle for fourth spot at the subsequent World Championships in 2011, where it was clobbered in the semi-finals by eventual champions Australia and also lost the bronze medal game again to England.However, Fowler-Reid said she believes Jamaica can improve on these previous outings. "I am a 110 per cent confident in them (players), and I am sure that we are going to pull through," she noted. "We are planning to make the country proud and giving them a reason to come to the airport when we get home."Caribbean teams Barbados and T&T will compete in Pool B along with World number one Australia, England, South and Wales.Jamaica opens their campaign against St Lucia next Thursday. (CMC)