Western Bureau-

While I am a subscriber to the view that, "one should not hit a man when he is down", it would be an insult to how I feel if I did not express my utter disappointment with the performance of Jamaica's Sunshine Girls at the recent Netball World Cup in Australia.

Although I had recognised from the outset that winning the title would not be easy, especially when one considers the overall strength of teams such as Australia, New Zealand, and England, I nonetheless expected the team to perform at a level at which, even if they were beaten, they would have still given us something of which to be proud.

Unfortunately, the team's overall performance was so wantonly unconvincing that I now feel as if the time I spent searching the Internet for a video feed of the games, and the additional time I spent watching them, was a grand waste of time. Even in the games we won, we did not look like the genuine article.

Reflecting on some of the pronouncements Netball Jamaica (NJ) and the coaching staff made in the team's build-up to the championship, and then looking at what unfolded on the court, I can fairly conclude that we were a team of style without substance.

While I have not heard a substantial post-tournament analysis from NJ boss Marva Bernard, I believe she too should have reason to be very disappointed, if not totally upset. Surely, the girls simply did not match the effort she made in terms of ensuring everything was put in place for them to succeed.

I believe one of the greatest downfalls of the team was the attitude of the players, who, instead of showing a hunger to conquer all, appeared to be just satisfied with being at the championship. I did not see the same resolute game face on our girls as I saw on the Australians and the New Zealanders.

While I am not advocating for the dismantling of our local netball programme, I believe the whole approach to team selection, coaching and preparation needs to be revamped. We need to move away from selecting flashy players and instead try to groom players with the guts and determination to give 100 per cent all times.

Maybe the time has come for NJ to take the approach of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) in terms of looking outside of Jamaica to secure talent for the national team. I am sure that we could probably find a few good players in England with Jamaican roots, who would give their heart and soul to black, green and gold.

Knowing the many and varied struggles of our netball programme, in terms of soliciting the support of corporate Jamaica, we cannot and should not accept this lacklustre performance, and just sweep this result under the carpet. The sponsors did not get value for money, and we need to investigate and find out why.

I have heard a number of flimsy excuses to include claims that our girls were at a disadvantage to Australia, New Zealand, and England in terms of resources. Without hesitation, I would simply say, rubbish. If there is any merit to such claim, someone needs to explain why our track athletes are ruling supreme on the world stage.

While I am not advocating unsportsmanlike behaviour from our team, I would have much preferred to see our players showing the kind of robust guts and determination that I saw from the likes of a Malawi. Flashy style, without substance, is not my cup of tea; I want to see heart, soul and passion on the court.

Feedback: adrianfrater@hotmail.com