Karen Joseph: UK netball team’s visit an all-round boost for the country

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Left to right: Zorol Barthley, Captain Emma Cochrane, Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Winship and President of the Antigua & Barbuda Netball Association, Karen Joseph. (Observer media photo)
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By Neto Baptiste

An ongoing visit by the United Kingdom’s Army Medical Services Netball Team is a shot in the arm for both the sports tourism industry and the sport here in Antigua.

This is according to President of the Antigua & Barbuda Netball Association (ABNA) and former national goal shoot, Karen Joseph, who said the aim is to get more teams coming to Antigua on an annual basis.

“It’s a boost for netball in Antigua and Barbuda, especially the sports tourism department. I must say that because we [netball association] just ended a tournament two weeks ago, the players are still in full [swing] so we had a good performance last night [Tuesday] against John Hughes. I think it’s a way of moving forward and to take netball to a different level. The competition is great for the players and also for the national quad who they will also be playing against as well and I just want to see more teams coming into Antigua so we could boost our tourism industry and also for the sport,” she said.

The team, which consists of UK army personnel, will play four games against clubs in Antigua including the senior national team at the YMCA Sports Complex.

Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Winship, who is leading the UK delegation, said the trip provides an opportunity for growth from both a physical and mental standpoint.

“The thing you get from competitive level sports are things like the teamwork, the cohesion, the working under pressure, the endurance physically, mentally, emotionally and when you’re playing sport to a competitive level it comes out on the sporting field or court and it’s really hard to get that from any other experience so that is the underlying reason why the army actually invests a lot into sports. It’s just so important,” she said. 

Another player in the touring team, Captain Emma Cochrane, said that for her it’s all about the camaraderie.

“I actually just really love spending time with the team. I think a big hidden secrets of the EMS is the netball team and we’re generally a great group of strong independent women who are fit and intelligent and active and I find, in general, just great to spend time with and be around,” the player said.

The team is slated to leave Antigua on July 10.

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