Western Bureau:

The St James' junior netball programme from which nine players were recently invited to two national squads, got a much needed shot in the arm on Wednesday when the Montego Bay-based company, Dream House Products, handed over a $40,000 sponsorship cheque for the parish's junior league competition.

"It is a part of our corporate responsibility to assist the community whenever we see a need and can help," said Howard McIntosh, manager of Dream House Products.

Treasurer of the St James Netball Association, Egland Richards, on whose initiative the sponsorship deal was secured, praised Dream House Products for coming to the assistance of St James' netball at a time when most companies are shying away from such involvement because of the general hardship brought on by the global recession.

While St James netball has managed to maintain a reasonably high profile within recent years, Richards believes the parish needs to pull closer in standard to the likes of Kingston and Clarendon, the two dominant parishes in domestic netball.

Greater success

"I want to see us right up there challenging Kingston and Clarendon for dominance," said Richards, who has declared that he will be challenging for the presidency of the St James Netball Association at the association's next annual general meeting. "We have the talent and I want to see this talent transformed into greater success."

Last weekend 11 players from the St James junior programme attended the national trials for Under-13 and Under-16 players at the National Stadium in St Andrew. Nine got selected for the two squads.

Those selected for the Under-16 squad were Allisa Dawkins and Princess Brown of Herbert Morrison Technical Those called to the Under-13 squad were Carlalee Tinglin - Corinaldi Avenue Primary School, Dejahnae Hamil - Anchovy High School, Shameira Sterling - Anchovy High School, Illiana Paul - Irwin High, Toniann Reid - Herbert Morrison Technical, Judy Ann Hines - Anchovy High and Martina Ferguson - Mt Alvernia High.