Barbados netball selectors have made a straight swap of one defender for another in replacing the injured Rhe-Ann Niles in the team which leaves on Saturday for the World Championship Qualifiers in Calgary, Canada.
In comes 19-year-old Shanice Wharton who will join her sister, shooter Shonica Wharton, in the squad. The former Deighton Griffith and Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic student had been part of the warm-up squads which competed against St Lucia here and Jamaica in Jamaica prior to the Commonwealth Games.
Niles, who is also a national volleyballer, had returned from the Games on crutches after suffering a foot injury that necessitated a boot cast.
Niles, who is a very smart player, has the natural aggression and elevation which make her a tremendous asset in the defence circle and will be hard to replace. However, Shanice has the height, one of the weapons which Barbados will need in Canada.
The soft spoken player said, “I feel good to make the team and I will go out there to do my best by playing hard to bring success to Barbados. Whether I am on the court or not I want to provide motivation for my sister and my team since I want Barbados to do well and I want to remain on the senior team for a long time.”
Barbados will play against the United States, Canada, Grenada, Cayman Islands, Argentina and Trinidad & Tobago with two spots being available for the World Championships in Australia in 2015.
Although the US normally fields a number of expatriates inclusive of Jamaicans, and Argentina is a new entity, only T&T can boast of having beaten Barbados.
The latest victory was by one goal in the opening match of the Commonwealth Games.
The full Barbados team is: Latonia Blackman, captain, Shanice Wharton, Shonica Wharton, Damisha Croney, Samantha Browne, Kizzy Marville, Jeneice Clarke, Shonette Bruce, Shanice Rock, Nikita Piggott, Sheniqua Thomas and Laurel Brown.
The coach of the team is Anna Shepherd with Sandra Bruce-Small being her assistant. The squad is managed by Vaneisha Cadogan.
