Not a snub to netball

Jamaica’s number-one netballer, Jhaniele Fowler, believes the sport does not get a fair shake when it comes down to the recognition of individual achievements and awards.

Fowler was speaking in specific reference to the nominations of this year’s RJRGLEANER Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year awards.

Fowler, a historic four-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Suncorp Super Netball League, said she was not surprised by her omission from the list of candidates for this year’s award because Sunshine Girls do not receive the recognition they deserve.

This year’s female candidates are reigning triple Olympic gold medallist Elaine Thompson Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Megan Tapper, Shericka Jackson, and cricketer Stafanie Taylor.

The event to honour the eventual winner and a number of other special category winners will take place virtually on Friday, January 21, 2022 beginning at 8:35 p.m. Th event is returning after a year’s absence.

Fowler believes an outstanding year for the West Coast Fever where she picked up the award for the best netball player in the league for the fourth consecutive time makes her a strong candidate for nomination.

DOMINATED SCORING CHART

The 32-year-old Fowler, who recently represented the Sunshine Girls in their three-Test Series in England, dominated the scoring charts in the Suncorp League last season, with a league-leading 883 goals in the competition.

“To be honest, I am not disappointed because it is expected as netballers, especially, always get passed over. I think that my work should be recognised but I am recognised elsewhere and that is okay with me,” said Fowler.

“This is not really a bother to me, but initially I thought about it but then I realised that our netballers don’t really get the recognition and support that we deserve in this country,” she said.

“I think we should be getting a lot more respect because we are the equivalent to Shelly-Ann [Fraser-Pryce] and Elaine [Thompson] and we do put in a lot of work to do what it is to get where we are and so it won’t hurt if you want to recognise us,” Fowler said.

Fowler’s comments come on the back of record of nominations where the last time a netballer was nominated for the top award came all the way back in 1969 when former Sunshine Girl Vilma McDonald made the cut.

The awards were then called the Machado Sports Foundation Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year award.

Sunshine Girls have received special awards from the foundation throughout the years.

Mike Fennell, director of the RJRGLEANER Sports Foundation and Chairman of the Selection Committee, in explaining why Fowler would not have made the cut, said international performances usually carry the highest points and the performances of local sportsmen and women fall below that on the hierarchy of criteria.

“The criteria remain unchanged. The selection is based on performances, first of all at the world level, such as the Olympic Games, World Championships and so on,” said Fennell.

“Secondly, at the regional level such as Pan American Games and down the ranks at the Caribbean Games and domestic competition,” he said.

“For Jhaniele Fowler, she took part in the league in Australia, so that’s a domestic event,” he said.

NOT ENOUGH INT’L TOURNAMENTS

International tournaments for netballers do not happen as often as in other sports. There is the World Cup and there is Commonwealth Games, but not much else that would put the Sunshine Girls in line for copping the major award.

President of Netball Jamaica (NJ), Tricia Robinson, understands this unfortunate dynamic but says her organisation still submitted Fowler’s name to the Fennell-led selection of the committee for consideration.

“We have to recognise that there are many sports that the country competes in internationally and everybody is doing well and so it is really hard to compete against our young women who have done so well in track and field,” said Robinson.

robert.bailey@gleanerjm.com