By Neto Baptiste
President of the Antigua and Barbuda Netball Association (ABNA) and former national goal shoot, Karen Joseph, is hoping to stay at the helm of the sport despite earlier suggestions she could leave the post.
Speaking on the Good morning Jojo sport show, Joseph said that although it is not an easy task, she has seen positive growth within the sport and hopes she can continue making an impact.
“I’ve started to work with some netballers and I’ve seen some vast improvement in them and even though I am at the point where I want to give up, I cannot do it to my netballers. I see great potential in the team and some young netballers coming up and I want to give it another try if I am allowed to and see where it goes from there. It’s a lot of hard work, voluntary hard work,” she said.
Joseph, in her second two-year term as president of the association, said in September that she could leave the post following the ECCB Netball Challenge Series held here that month. The former player said she may not contest the body’s election which was due this year but has been postponed until the first quarter of 2024.
However, she said that there are a number of goals the association needs to achieve.
“When you want to get things done in Antigua netball, it is frustrating; but I want to thank all the companies and individuals who supported netball over the years that I’ve been there because sometimes when I ask for sponsorship people would say ‘Karen, it’s only because of you why I am doing this’, and it says something to me so I will try to hold on bit. I am not sure for how long but I am still advocating to have one or two netballers in the Super League in England because I see that talent in us,” the former player said.
Joseph was recently honoured in her community of Seatons with the renaming of a street in her honour. The gesture was made in recognition of her achievements in the sport of netball.
