Jamaica’s sportswomen have made history in a number of sports venues in recent days. First among them is the remarkable performance of the national women’s football team, the Reggae Girlz, that, for the first time in history, advances to the knockout stage at 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. In the sport of volleyball, Jamaica’s senior female team brought home the 2023 CAZOVA Women’s Championship title from Suriname, while in netball, Jamaica’s team scored an important win over Sri Lanka.

Jamaica’s Historic Women’s World Cup Firsts

Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz defeated Panama with a score of 1-0 on the world stage at the FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup, continuing their outstanding performance after battling France to a draw in their opening match.

With the draw, Jamaica made its first point at the World Cup, and by defeating Panama, ranked at the same points level as the group leader. Panama was also looking for its first World Cup win, but after a scoreless first half, Reggae Girlz team captain Allyson Swaby’s header in the 56th minute solidified the dominance the Jamaican women had displayed throughout the match. The Girlz celebrated their victory with Jamaica’s fans worldwide.

They followed up those performance with a 0-0 draw in their match against Brazil. This match was a big moment for Jamaica because they now advance to the knockout stage for the first time. At the same time, it was a historic moment for Brazil as they were eliminated from the group stage for the first time since 1995.

Sunshine Girls dominate Sri Lanka

Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls began their dominance of the 2023 Vitality Netball World Cup tournament in Cape Town, South Africa, with an overwhelming victory against Sri Lanka in which they defeated their opponent with a score of 105 to 25. Jamaica’s team, ranked fourth in the world, was expected to win the match against Sri Lanka, which is ranked 15th. The Sunshine Girls’ scoring was shared by Romeld Aiken-George and team captain Jhaniele Fowler, whose goal-sharing duties spanned two quarters each. Aiken-George scored 33 of 34 goal attempts, while Fowler achieved 42 goals in 43 attempts. Rebekah Robinson and Shanice Beckford scored 17 and 13 goals, respectively. With their victory, the Sunshine Girls were positioned ahead of the host South Africa. The Sunshine Girls had an 89-percent scoring average in the game, but also had 17 turnovers, something that the head coach Connie Francis hopes to correct as the team moves forward.

Jamaican Women Make Volleyball History

Jamaica’s national women’s volleyball team made history at the 18th Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association Senior Championship (CAZOVA) tournament when they defeated the Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago to advance to the semifinals. With these victories, Jamaica became the first team from the Caribbean to advance so far in the tournament by sustaining their winning streak at the Anthony Nesty Sports Hall in Suriname. Fans were especially thrilled with the match versus Trinidad and Tobago because the teams had to play almost five sets before Jamaica secured the victory. Jamaica also won in five sets against the host country Suriname.

Photo – Official Instagram Page for Jamaica Volleyball Association, Official Instagram Page for Jamaica Football Federation ,