By Carlena Knight
After a two-year hiatus, the Cool and Smooth Inter-school Netball Championships returned to the YMCA Sports Complex on Monday.
The Under-16 girls were in action with commendable performances from several teams.
In the first match-up of the afternoon, Princess Margaret School (PMS) trounced Pares Secondary School (PSS), beating them 14-0 with goal-shooter Kiva Knowles banking 12 of her 13 shots.
Despite a valiant effort from shooters, Kiara Simon and Jessica Massicot of Ottos Comprehensive School (OCS) the ladies in brown were edged out by Irene B Williams Secondary School (IBWSS) 10-9.
It was a seesaw battle between the two teams with both taking the lead several times, but Irene B would get one up on OCS to record their first win of the competition.
Meanwhile, in the other matches on Monday, Antigua Girls’ High School (AGHS) overpowered Glanvilles Secondary School (GSS) 12-3 with Alaina Elvin making nine of her 19 attempts and Perliecia Warner three of nine.
All Saints Secondary School (ASSS) crushed St Mary’s Secondary School (SMSS), 17-3.
“It was great to see YMCA buzzing with action again. We are looking forward to having a great season,” Oleno Knight, one of the netball coaches, said.
Just like other sports in the country, schools netball had been halted in 2020 after Antigua and Barbuda recorded its first case of Covid-19.
Although previously announced that a Fast Five format would have been the proposed change for this year’s competition, the netball unit reverted to its original format with seven players.
Primary school players will still have a separate competition in April which will focus more on the fundamentals of the sport.
Matches will continue at 2:30pm today, starting with Princess Margaret School facing Glanvilles Secondary; All Saints Secondary will battle Ottos Comprehensive; St Mary’s Secondary will play Pares Secondary; and Irene B Williams Secondary will clash against Antigua Girls’ High School.
All games will be played at the YMCA Sports Complex.