Today's Edition
Abu Dhabi (Aletihad)
The UAE national netball team will be vying to dislodge hosts and title holders Singapore on debut at the Mirxes Nations Cup this week. Six teams from around the world are competing for the prestigious crown among women players which will be decided on September 7.
The tournament kicked off at the OCBC Arena in the city-state and will feature a round-robin format. Although the UAE is taking part for the first time, they get the pride of place by virtue of their world ranking.
Among the participating nations, the national team is ranked 21st, followed by Republic of Ireland (22nd), Kenya (30th), Canada (unranked) and Singapore’s two entries, the Open (25th) and A teams.
Captain Carly Lewis is eager to compete and said: “We’re really excited to play against different countries with different styles of netball, and showcase our skills on a bigger world stage. We’re here to play well and, hopefully, take the trophy home.”
The Nations Cup has been held in Singapore since 2006 where the hosts won the first two stagings, followed by a 16-year-long drought and then again last year when they beat Papua New Guinea.
The tournament has seen participation ranging from three to six teams. Post COVID and including 2024, Singapore has been fielding two teams; once again the focus for them this week is on team cohesion and continuous improvement as they aim to add to their three titles.
Co-captain Khor Ting Fang said: “What we’re looking for this year is to build on the connections we have with each other, especially with the new players coming in, and to always strive to push ourselves to the next level as a team. Retaining our title is definitely the goal.”
Also making a debut like the UAE and keen to showcase their talent will be Kenya. “We’ve never been to Singapore before. This is an achievement already, just getting here on a 13-hour flight. And we expect to win,” said their captain Hellen Maruti.
Canada is back for another shot at the title after competing in last year’s edition. Vice-captain Adrienne Parkin said: “Last year, we were new to playing together, and this year, we’ve grown a lot. We have higher expectations for ourselves, so I think it will be a good competition, and we’re really excited.”
Also returning to compete is the Republic of Ireland team, after earning a fourth-place finish in 2022. “We’ve got a new team again,” said captain Fran Duffy, “so we’ve been working hard at home to develop and peak at the right times for certain competitions. We’re hungry for gold, and we want to ensure that we perform at a high international level throughout the tournament".
