2024 Singapore Nations Cup

From Netball Singapore…

SINGAPORE VANDAS SUFFER FIRST LOSS IN THE MIRXES NATIONS CUP TO KENYA

The Singapore Vandas faced a challenging match on the third day of the Mirxes Nations Cup, falling to a strong Kenyan side with a score of 36-49.

Despite applying solid defensive pressure throughout the court, Singapore struggled with inconsistency in their shooting, which Kenya capitalised on. Kenya took control early, ending the first half with a 25-17 lead.

Although the Singapore Vandas fought back valiantly, they couldn’t match Kenya’s physical prowess and athleticism. Over the 60 minutes, Kenya’s clinical play and finishing – reflected in their impressive 92% shooting accuracy – proved decisive.

Kenyan Captain Parin Nasambu Simiyu shared her thoughts after the match: “The team performed very well today. When we lost yesterday, it gave us the chance to go and work on our weaknesses, and that is why we came back fully revived. We knew it was a very important match for us, so we just had to work on our weaknesses so that we could improve for our match today.”

United Arab Emirates Remains Unbeaten

In the day’s first match, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) continued their unbeaten streak, securing a comfortable 64-39 victory over Canada.

Canada showed remarkable improvement from their previous games, challenging the table-topping UAE team in the first half and even securing their first-ever quarter win in the tournament with a 14-12 scoreline in the second quarter.

However, UAE responded strongly in the third quarter, dominating with a 22-8 score that created an insurmountable lead. Despite Canada’s efforts in the final quarter, the gap was too large to close.

Post-match, young UAE defender Fiona Van Dam, who earned her first international cap this week, reflected: “I think we had a little bit of a slow start, and we took things a little bit for granted, but we came back and it was a good game. It was a little bit physical, but the girls came and gave it our all.”

Ireland Proves Too Strong for Singapore A

In the day’s second match, Ireland secured their first win of the tournament by overpowering Singapore A with a 59-48 victory.

Singapore A started the match with a strong 6-0 lead, but Ireland quickly responded with eight consecutive goals, taking an 8-6 lead and maintaining a 16-14 advantage at the end of the first quarter. Despite Singapore A’s determined efforts, Ireland’s experience ultimately shone through, leading them to a well-earned victory.

Looking ahead to the next matches, Ireland’s Captain Fran Duffy commented: “For the next few games, we want to make sure we do build on each game, so we go back and reflect and do our analysis. We want to make sure that we learn and grow as a team. It’s a very young team, so essentially, each time, we want to make sure we individually are learning things about ourselves and our team.”

Final Scores:

UAE vs Canada: 64-39
Ireland vs Singapore A: 59-48
Singapore vs Kenya: 36-49

From Netball Singapore…

SINGAPORE VANDAS BOUNCE BACK WITH VICTORY OVER SINGAPORE A AT THE MIRXES NATIONS CUP

The Singapore Vandas showcased an improved performance on Day 4 of the Mirxes Nations Cup, bouncing back to defeat the Singapore A team 59-37.

Singapore A, the development team of Netball Singapore featuring mainly U23 players, put up a strong fight in the first half, keeping the goal difference between the teams to just six goals.

In the third quarter, the Singapore Vandas elevated their game, scoring seven unanswered goals at the start of the period. They continued their impressive performance throughout the third quarter, ending the period with a 19-6 quarter score. Despite Singapore A’s push in the final quarter, the Singapore Vandas secured the game with a fourth-quarter victory, resulting in an overall 22-goal win.

Goal Attack Goh Wei Ping, who shot impressively today at 91%, remarked: “We have been training together a lot because a number of them are part of the Opens team now. The Singapore A team have really a lot of potential, as you can see from today. So, the future of Singapore Netball is definitely bright and kudos to them for giving us such a great fight today.”

United Arab Emirates Remains Unbeaten

In the most thrilling match of the tournament so far, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) edged out Ireland in a nail-biting contest, winning 52-50.

Ireland started the match strongly, giving the unbeaten UAE a tough challenge. Any errors from UAE were effectively capitalized on by Ireland’s attack, allowing Ireland to take a halftime lead of 26-24.

However, the momentum shifted in the third quarter, as Ireland committed more unforced errors, which UAE capitalised on to win the quarter 14-10, securing the lead going into the final quarter.

In an exciting final 15 minutes, the match remained neck-and-neck. Despite Ireland winning the final quarter, UAE managed to hold on for an overall two-goal victory.

Captain Carly Lewis, the most capped player on the UAE team, reflected: “Ireland came out really hard today, and I think we were on the back foot pretty early. We managed to pull through, but it was just neck-and-neck throughout the whole game. It was a real physical, mental, and emotional game for both teams today. But credit to the Republic of Ireland; that was a really tough game today, so credit to them. But I think we were confident we would pull through in the end, and we did. So it’s a testament to the girls, and I’m really proud of them.”

Kenya Ruthless Against Canada

Kenya continued their strong form from the previous day, dominating Canada with a resounding 79-14 victory.

The African team came out firing from the start, putting up 48 goals while holding Canada to just nine by halftime. Although Canada showed more resistance in the second half, Kenya’s dominance was clear, ending the match with a 65-goal victory.

After the match, Head Coach Ali Mugisha said: “The morale of the players and the coaching staff is high. I think after the first defeat (to UAE), we went back to the drawing board and restructured and regrouped and came back to winning ways. We hope to continue winning and achieving our goals and targets.”

The Mirxes Nations Cup will continue at the OCBC Arena (Hall 1) until 7 September. Tickets are available for purchase through Ticketmaster.

For more information on the Mirxes Nations Cup, follow Netball Singapore (@netballsingapore) on social media for the latest updates.

Final Scores:

Ireland vs UAE: 50-52
Canada vs Kenya: 14-79
Singapore vs Singapore A: 59-37

Fixtures For Friday, 6 Sept:

3pm SGT: Singapore A vs Kenya
5pm SGT: Canada vs Ireland
7pm SGT: Singapore vs UAE

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

From Netball Singapore…

KENYA CROWNED MIRXES NATIONS CUP CHAMPIONS AFTER DEFEATING SINGAPORE IN FINAL

Kenya claimed the 2024 Mirxes Nations Cup title with a commanding performance, defeating the Singapore Vandas 61-33 in the final.

Singapore struggled to break through Kenya’s solid defensive setup in the first quarter, falling behind 9-16. While the Singapore Vandas applied more pressure in the second quarter, they could not close the gap, losing the quarter 11-14.

In the second half, a series of unforced errors and missed opportunities from the Singapore Vandas, coupled with Kenya stepping up their performance, widened the gap to a decisive 18-goal difference. This dominant display allowed Kenya to close out the game with a 61-33 victory.

Reflecting on the win, Kenya head coach Ali Mugisha proudly stated: “It means a lot for Netball Kenya. This is their first achievement in over five years. Being able to be champions internationally is such a great sign of all the hard work they have put in, all the pain and suffering they have been through, all the challenges they have gone through as a nation, as mothers, as young ladies, as a federation.”

Singapore Vandas defender Jamie Lim shared her thoughts on the match: “I thought we had a good start actually, but it’s just the consistency throughout the four quarters that weren’t there today. We wanted to carry on yesterday’s performance and put it out on court today, but Kenya gave us a really good fight. There are definitely improvements from the first game to today. So, it’s okay, we lost. We fought hard, and that’s the main point of the game.”

UAE Clinches Third Spot

United Arab Emirates (UAE) secured third place with a solid 52-46 win over Ireland.

Today’s match wasn’t as close as their earlier thrilling encounter in the week when UAE edged Ireland by just two goals. UAE came out stronger this time, taking an eight-goal lead by halftime. Although Ireland fought back to win the second half, it wasn’t enough to overcome UAE’s early advantage.

Reflecting on the tournament, UAE captain Carly Lewis said: “It’s been a great week. And to finish it like that, I’m just really proud of the efforts the girls have put in. It’s been a really hard week. I think it’s been a mentally challenging week, game after game, and we’ve played some really different teams to what we’re used to. We had our vice-captain go down midweek, and I’m just really proud of how the girls have adapted, and we’ve bounced back, and we’ve come back strong today.”

Singapore A Ends on a High

Singapore A finished fifth after a commanding 61-38 victory over Canada.

The development team dominated from the start, establishing a 17-goal lead by halftime. Despite a stronger performance from Canada in the second half, including edging the final quarter 13-12, Singapore A’s early dominance secured a comfortable win.

Head coach Yeo Mee Hong reflected on the team’s performance this week: “I thought the girls had resilience and good fighting spirit this week.; they never gave up. They kept backing each other. And in terms of skills, I thought they have improved a lot in terms of playing bigger bodies and faster players. So I’m very proud of them.”

Final Scores:

Kenya vs Singapore: 61-33
UAE vs Ireland: 52-46
Singapore A vs Canada: 61-38