The senior women’s lacrosse team of Jamaica made history when it became the first team in the Caribbean region to attain the qualification to compete in the Women’s Lacrosse World Cup in 2021. The team had a third-place ranking by the end of the Pan American Championship held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on November 17, 2019, as a result of Jamaica’s defeat of Mexico’s team with a score of nine to eight. Olivia Grange, Jamaican Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sport, offered her congratulations to the team for the victory that solidifies their position in the history of lacrosse. She said she was “excited by the very happy news” of the team’s successful qualification. Grange noted that this was the first time a Jamaican team, or any Caribbean team, had succeeded in qualifying for the Lacrosse Women’s World Cup competition. She called on Jamaicans to support the team “as they continue to beat the odds.”

The achievement of the women’s lacrosse team represents one more history-making achievement for Jamaican athletes in recent times and illustrates the success and proficiency of Jamaica’s sport development initiatives. Among the other notable achievements for Jamaican teams is the historic participation of the Under-19 team at the Under-19 Lacrosse World Champions in Canada in the summer of 2019, when the squad defeated Colombia and Argentina. Karli Brentlinger, the team’s head coach, expressed how proud she is of the team, praising the performance of players Johanna Silvera and goalkeeper Shannen Graham, both of whom also play on the women’s senior team. Graham was named Player of the Match in the game versus Mexico, while Silvera received an invitation of play in an all-star match that will comply with Olympic rules and count toward the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. The 2021 Women’s Lacrosse World Cup is scheduled to be played at Maryland’s Towson University from July 7 through 12, 2021.

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