From Netball Singapore…
SINGAPORE VANDAS DEFEAT UAE TO MAKE BACK-TO-BACK MIRXES NATIONS CUP FINALS
The Singapore Vandas delivered a clinical performance, defeating the previously undefeated United Arab Emirates (UAE) 68-47 to secure a spot in the Mirxes Nations Cup final and a chance to defend their title.
The Singapore Vandas impressed right from the opening whistle, applying relentless pressure on the UAE team across the court. Singapore’s defensive unit shone in the first half, while sharp shooting from Lee Pei Shan and Amandeep Chahal helped the team establish a commanding 16-goal lead by halftime.
The third quarter proved to be a closer contest, with Singapore edging it 15-14, but the home team continued their dominance in the final quarter, winning 15-11 to seal a comprehensive 21-goal victory.
Reflecting on the performance, head coach Annette Bishop proudly said: “We have been building; we’ve had a few inconsistencies throughout our games. So today, it was a full team performance right from the start. And we knew that UAE was going to be very hard from the onset. So, we needed to make sure we were totally focused.”
The Singapore Vandas will face Kenya in tomorrow’s finals after the African nation extended their strong run in the tournament with a commanding 29-goal win over Singapore A.
Despite a determined effort from the Singapore A team, they couldn’t match Kenya’s intensity, especially in the first half, which ended with Kenya leading 35-12. While the second half was more competitive, Kenya maintained control, finishing with a convincing 61-32 victory.
Looking ahead to tomorrow’s final, Kenya captain Parin Nasambu Simiyu commented: “We feel great for qualifying for the finals tomorrow. And so, we are going to work on our weaknesses, because despite everything, we had some weaknesses. We will fill the gaps so we will be better during our match tomorrow. We are going for the gold.”
Ireland will compete against UAE for third place tomorrow, following their convincing 52-32 win over Canada.
Canada showed significant improvement in today’s match, but Ireland’s strength and experience ultimately secured them a 20-goal victory.
Looking ahead to the third-place match tomorrow, Goal Shooter Sophie Murray said: “We’ll just look at doing the same – connect as a the team, bring the ball safely through the court when we get a turnover and get all of our shots in. Then, hopefully, we’ll come out with bronze.”
The final day of the Mirxes Nations Cup will take place tomorrow at the OCBC Arena (Hall 1). Tickets are available for purchase through Ticketmaster.
Final Scores:
Singapore A vs Kenya: 32-61
Canada vs Ireland: 32-52
Singapore vs UAE: 68-47
Finals Fixtures:
11am SGT: Singapore A vs Canada
1pm SGT: UAE vs Ireland
3pm SGT: Kenya vs Singapore
