Williams nightmare almost over

President of Netball Jamaica (NJ) Karen Rosen-Baugh says Sunshine Girls mid-court player Khadijah Williams is scheduled to arrive in Jamaica today after being issued emergency travel documents.

Williams endured a distressing experience in Sydney last Thursday, when her bag containing her passport and money was stolen at a shopping mall while members of the team were sightseeing, shortly after the conclusion of the three-Test series against Australia.

“We have good news. She just received her emergency travel documents from the consulate in Tokyo, Japan, and so she will be leaving Thursday morning, Australia time, out of Sydney to Chile, then to Panama, and from Panama to Jamaica,” said Rosen-Baugh.

The incident forced Williams to remain behind when the team departed, as she was unable to travel without official identification. Rosen-Baugh noted that the matter was immediately reported to local authorities and required urgent intervention from Jamaican government agencies.

“She had her bag with her passport and money stolen, so we reported it to the police. The end result was that she couldn’t leave with the team because she was without documentation, so we had to go through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Sport to get in touch with the consulate in Tokyo. They were very helpful in getting this matter sorted out quickly,” she said.

CORPORATE SUPPORT

Rosen-Baugh added that corporate support also played a key role in resolving the situation after Manpower and Maintenance Services stepped forward with a $500,000 donation to assist with the unexpected expenses of returning Williams and an assistant coach to the island.

“We got a surprise call from Manpower and Maintenance Services because they heard what took place with Khadijah, and their chairman offered assistance. We are very grateful, because this was an unplanned expense,” she noted.

Williams, a wing attack with more than 80 international caps, has been a mainstay of the Sunshine Girls programme for over a decade. Despite being shaken by the incident, Rosen-Baugh pointed out that Williams remained safe throughout the ordeal.

“She was a little shaken, but she wasn’t robbed or harmed. She was saddened when she realised her bag was missing, and despite searching, it couldn’t be found. It was especially hard for her to stay back while the team returned home, but she is okay and looking forward to coming home,” said the NJ boss.

The Sunshine Girls were swept 3-0 in the series by the world’s number-one team, Australia.