‘Proud’ Pechova in line for top award
New Team Bath Netball Super League recruit Jayda Pechova has been shortlisted for SportsAid’s prestigious One-to-watch Award.
Previous winners include Tom Daley, Courtney Tulloch, Amber Hill, Morgan Lake and Alex Yee.
Around 1,000 young athletes from 60 sports receive support from the national charity every year but only ten are in line for the award and Pechova is thrilled to be on that shortlist.
“I was so shocked, I didn’t even expect it,” said the 18-year-old defender, who has joined Team Bath from London Pulse for the 2023 Super League season.
“I feel like I’ve had a great journey this year but I’ve never put it in perspective, and being nominated made me realise how much I’ve achieved ... I’m really proud.”
Pechova, who began studying sports performance at the University of Bath last month, is part of the BUCS first team squad. She was selected for the Future Roses programme earlier this year having impressed internationally at U19 and U21 level, helping England win the Netball Europe title in both age groups. She also made her Super League debut for Pulse and was a key figure in their successful NPL Grand Final-winning team.
Pechova and Bath teammate Tash Pavelin made their first senior England appearances at the weekend after the Roses narrowly missed out on a medal at the 2022 Fast5
Netball World Series in New Zealand. The Blue & Gold defenders were part of a Roses squad which were just two points behind the hosts at half-time of Sunday’s bronze medal match, before the Silver Ferns pulled away to win 39-25.
It had been a different story in the previous day’s group matches as England – inspired by a player of the match performance from Pechova – edged out New Zealand 32-31, thanks to a six-point shot from University of Bath alumna Paige Reed in the final ten seconds.
Reed repeated the trick in a 38-34 win over Uganda to put the Roses in a strong position at the end of Day One, and a 32-27 victory over Jamaica moved them up to second in the round-robin ladder – but they were denied a place in the final by a narrow 34-28 defeat to eventual champions Australia.
The winner of Sportsaid’s Oneto-watch Award will be revealed at the charity’s Celebrate the Next event in London on Thursday. Visit www.sportsaid.org.uk for further information.
Team Bath Super League tickets are now on sale. Visit netball.teambath.com/tickets.
Team Bath Netball is supported by its principal and pathway partner, chartered accountants Haines Watts; Bath Building Society and Rengen Developments, who are overall Team Bath partners; Centurion Chartered Financial Planners; Ecus Ltd, environment partner; and PDS Coaching, which provides performance mentoring. Team Bath’s suppliers include O’neills, 2XU and Pulseroll.