Singapore snatch dramatic 54-54 draw in Netball Nations Cup opener against Namibia
SINGAPORE — The annual Netball Nations Cup tournament began with a dramatic 54-54 draw between hosts Singapore and Namibia at the OCBC Arena on Sunday (20 October).
Namibia returned the Nations Cup after a seven-year hiatus responded in impressive fashion and finished the second quarter leading 25-23. The match was close throughout, and Singapore snatched the draw in the dying seconds as captain Charmaine Soh sank the equalising goal.
“I think the team started very well, but we had a dip in the middle during the second quarter,” Soh said after the match. “Coach (Natalie Milicich) made a change and I am glad everyone rose up to the challenge again.
“Coach Natalie prepared us well for such high-pressure scenarios. Just this morning we were training with the scenario that we had 10 seconds left and we had to make a tie, the exact situation as just now.
“In future games, we need to steady down our passes and to focus throughout. I think we lost that focus a bit in the middle. For tomorrow’s match, we will focus more, concentrate and stay strong.”
In other Nations Cup matches on Sunday, Ireland edged out Papua New Guinea 41-38, while 2017 tournament winners Cook Islands defeated Botswana 54-47.
The Netball Nations Cup features six nations – Singapore, Namibia, Ireland, Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands and Botswana – and will be held at the OCBC Arena until Saturday.
Monday will see Namibia taking on Ireland, followed by Cook Islands vs Papua New Guinea, and concluding with Botswana vs Singapore. For more information, please visit Netball Singapore’s website and tickets to the tournament are available here.
Other Singapore stories:
WEEKLY ROUND-UP: Sports happenings in Singapore (14-20 October)
'Trust is about what you do': Singapore Democratic Party holds pre-election rally at Hong Lim Park
