Advertisement

SEA Games: Singapore defeat Thailand, set up showdown with Malaysia in netball final

Defending SEA Games netball gold medallists Singapore took on Malaysia at the Juara Stadium in Bukit Kiara on Wednesday (16 August).

Defending SEA Games netball champions Singapore defeated Thailand 55-43 in the semi-finals of the SEA Games at the Juara Stadium on Saturday (Aug 19).

They will face hosts Malaysia in the final on Sunday at 3pm in a rematch of the 2015 final. Malaysia had trounced Brunei in the earlier semi-final, winning by a score of 70-28. The hosts are the favourites to win this year’s netball title after being crowned Asian Netball Champions in 2016, a tournament where Singapore finished third.

Singapore endured a close first-half against Thailand, with the scores at the end of the second period reading 26-21 in their favour.

They managed to close out the game comfortably in the end, and set up a meeting with the team that gave them their only defeat of the competition so far.

Coach Yeo Mee Hong told Yahoo News Singapore she was “pleased” with the team’s performance. “Today’s game is about fine tuning on the game plan,” she said. Yeo added that she is confident the team will bring their ‘A game’ against Malaysia on Sunday.

In the round-robin match on Wednesday, Malaysia defeated Singapore 50-37.

Yeo also said the partisan crowd would not be an issue. “We are used to the loud boos and jeers from the Malaysian side,” she said. “We have our own supporters arriving today and they are behind us – that’s enough motivation and encouragement.”

Sunday’s match at the Juara Stadium starts at 3pm.