Jamaican Netballer Granted Australian Citizen, Could Represent Diamonds at 2015 Netball World Cup

February 16, 2015 Wayde Brown

Former Sunshine Girls goal-attack Carla Borrego could represent Australia at the upcoming Netball World Cup in Sydney in August.

This as her application for Australian citizenship has been granted meaning she can represent the Diamonds who have been drawn in Pool A at the August 7-6 tournament.

Borrego, who played for Jamaica at the 2003 World Championships in Kingston, has been with the Adelaide Thunderbirds for the past five seasons where she played a key role in the Thunderbirds winning the ANZ Championship title in 2010 and 2013 as an import player.

“I have lived in Adelaide for a long time now and I’m so happy to officially become an Australian Citizen,” Borrego said. “It has been a long process to finally reach this point, and I’m so grateful for the help and support I’ve received from Netball SA, the coaching staff, my teammates and also my local MP Matt Williams.”

Borrego becoming a naturalized Australian means as well as her becoming eligible for the national team, she has also been approved as a permanent replacement player for the Thunderbirds for the 2015 ANZ Championship season and takes the place of Georgie Virgo whose contract was terminated by Netball South Australia by mutual agreement.

England international Eboni Beckford-Chambers, who joined the Thunderbirds from the West Coast Fever during the off-season, will fulfil the team’s import player in 2015.

The 31 year old during her five seasons with Adelaide has scored 2251 goals from 2614 attempts at 86 per cent accuracy, a result that leaves as the 7th highest scorer in the league’s history.

The 2015 ANZ Championship season gets underway on February 28 with the Thunderbirds hosting the WBP Magic in Adelaide.