The Flankers Multipurpose Court buzzed with energy on March 2, 2025, as hundreds of residents packed the stands to cheer on 12 local teams competing in the annual Flankers Netball Competition, hosted by the Social Development Commission (SDC). With a cash prize and medals the event not only celebrated athletic prowess but also highlighted the transformative power of sports in driving community cohesion and national development.
The competition, sponsored by Dr. Hon Horace Chang, Member of Parliament, Councillor Charles Sinclair, and the Flankers Community Development Committee (CDC), drew a turnout mirroring previous years’ enthusiasm. Families, local vendors, and youth lined the court. “This isn’t just a game it’s a movement,” said Carlalee Tingling, captain of the winning team Pelle Drive Netball team from the Flankers United. “Seeing our neighbours here, cheering us on, shows what we can achieve together. The SDC gave us this stage, and we’re proud to represent Flankers.”
The event is part of the SDC’s Sport for Community Development Programme (SCDP), an island-wide strategy to engage residents through sports while fostering life skills, unity, and economic opportunities. During the 2024/2025 fiscal year, the SDC implemented 166 community sports initiatives, including football leagues, cricket tournaments, and track-and-field clinics, dominos tournaments, among other disciplines. These initiatives are designed to be inclusive of varying stakeholders such as schools, churches, private sector organizations, government agencies and others to ensure a strategic partnership approach and sustainable lasting impacts.
Mr. Omar Frith, SDC Executive Director, emphasized the programme’s dual impact: “Through the SCDP, we’re not just developing athletes we’re building platforms for community engagement, and intervention. Sports at SDC is seen as a vehicle to drive energies in communities thereby enhancing integration.”
Tova Trench, SDC Parish Manager for St. James, praised the community collaboration, “this initiative in Flankers today is a model for how communities can drive their own development. Our sponsors and residents didn’t just fund this event, they built it. Every pass, every cheer, strengthens our social fabric.”
Building on paths laid for community sports intervention, the SDC aims to strategically expand its sports initiatives for the new financial year; with plans to increase partnership, integrate other SDC led programmes and projects, and lengthen the duration of its sports tournament and creating more lasting immediate impact. While netball remains one of the more popular sports of the SCDP in communities like Flankers, the programme tailors its offerings to local needs, whether cricket in St. Elizabeth, football in Kingston, or netball in St. James. “We’re investing in social and economic development,” said Frith. “Our goal is to ensure every Jamaican, from Flankers communities, to Kingston and beyond, has the tools and support to thrive.”
The Flankers Netball Competition exemplifies how grassroots sports can ignite community development. With continued support from stakeholders and citizens, the SDC remains steadfast in its mission to build a stronger, more united Jamaica.
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