Sasha Corbin has called time to her career. Although she has had a glittering career, her first and only Netball World Cup was the last tournament she would feature in.
Corbin announced that she would retire after the 2023 Netball Super League season and including the Fast5 tournament, bringing to an end a glittering 18-year career.
The former Saracens Mavericks midcourt player says closing the curtain to her career at a World Cup is an honour.
“It’s amazing that it’s been held in Africa. It has been so amazing, the atmosphere and everything. This is my first World Cup and my last because I am finishing here, this is my last match. It’s been a massive honour to represent Barbados on this stage. I have always wanted to play at a World Cup. It has been a dream of mine from very young but honestly, it’s been tough. I can’t lie. It has been six games back to back, with no rest. That has been extremely difficult but at the same time, we have had to dig deep and push through boundaries to get to this point. I am really proud of what we’ve achieved as a group. I am incredibly proud to have been able to do it with my sister, Kadeen as well. It has been an awesome experience overall.”
Although she and her sister had represented the English Roses for years, at the 2023 edition, the Corbin sisters ran on the court in the colours of Barbados.
The Bajan Gems secured a 14th place finish after going down 75-48 to Zimbabwe. Corbin says it was an honour to represent her father’s country on the biggest stage.
“It was an opportunity. I had said bye to playing in Super League in England and there was the opportunity to play. My dad (Algernon Corbin) honestly, this is his country, born and bred and he was like it's his dream as well for us to play on the highest stage. And to be able to be my sister one more time because I wasn't playing with her in Super League. Honestly, though, a chance to play in the World Cup I'm not saying no,” she explains.
'MORE MONEY CAN MAKE BAJAN GEMS STRONGER'
She says ending her international career with her sister by her side has been special.
“I always said I wanted to finish playing with my sister because I played with her pretty much my entire career but this is extremely special to do it on a world stage. To do it for your country and I'm so proud of the journey but it does end here for me. You won’t see me doing this anymore but I've loved every minute of being a netball player. It's been a dream of mine to be able to be that and I'm proud that I was able to be here and I'm injury free,” she adds.
The Netball World Cup is almost at the business end and it has been almost two weeks of gruelling netball with matches back to back and players’ taking a beating. Corbin says the bodies took a bit of a strain.
“To be honest I would have loved for a break at some point. It has been extremely tough. I think I've woken up in so much pain, just being able to walk it's been a mission at times. So to be able to get up, warm up and get yourself into that game day spirit has been psychologically tough. But you know what? I'm proud that we've made it. I've been able to get through it, definitely the team and all the other teams. I wish you know in the future there could be a bit different in a in the scheduling. Just a bit more rest for the girls,” she says.
The former Loughborough Lightning reckons with more investment in the sport, the Bajan Gems can become a stronger competitive side.
“It goes without saying, obviously resources has is completely different. Just preparing for this was extremely different, like for the Roses, camps going into World Cup you get five days together, video analysis, and everything that comes with competing at the highest level is all kind of concentrated. The girls have to work back in Barbados so it's a bit difficult to get everyone together all the time. It's important that they have that in terms of making money because they have to take out time to come here. It's just about being able to get those schedules together so that we can train and then get in an indoor court every now and again. It was quite tough at times.
That’s just one thing but I hope that in the future we can get more resources out there and hopefully more money in the sport so that the girls can actually take this seriously and come out and be able to perform at the highest level day in day out,” she concludes.
