File Photo Credit: VOXSPORTS for SportSG
By Valerie Wong
The Netball Nations Cup is the biggest annual netball event in Singapore. It is a netball competition held every annum by
Netball Singapore which sees different nations come together to compete for the title of champion. The competition showcases a high level of netball skill and many different tactics and styles from the various countries taking part.
Nations Cup History and format
Starting in 2006, the first Nations Cup featured Singapore, Papua New Guinea, Scotland and Canada. Singapore managed to claim victory over the other competitors. The Nations Cup follows a Round Robin format, where each team plays against each other at least once to ensure a fair chance of advancement to the next round. Eventually, the top 2 teams end up competing in the finals.
The Netball Nations cup is a great opportunity for those who have not had as much exposure to the game, to watch and to be inspired by the high skill level of the players. Many netballers in Singapore often head down to support their Team Singapore netballers or to gain insight by watching the teams play. The electrifying atmosphere iis also one not to be missed.
2013 Edition
In 2013, the eighth Nations Cup comprised Uganda, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Republic of Ireland and the United States, as the host nation Singapore came in second, with first place going to Uganda.
Team Singapore were imperious in their route to the final but succumbed 52-29 eventually to the eventual champions. The team took an early advantage by storming to a 29-12 lead in the first half. A little over 2,000 people came to watch the finals.
Optimistism
Despite the loss in the final, Team Singapore captain Micky Lin has already set her sights on the Asian Championships in 2014.
She said: "We'll be participating in the Asian Championships in September. There will be some tours leading up towards that, so we need to train hard and retain our title.”
This year was the United States' first ever appearance in the Netball Nations Cup. It is not often you will witness Singapore triumph over the USA in a sport, but this year, Singapore managed to obtain a resounding victory in the competition.
While Netball may not have a premier league of its own or be as prominent internationally at the moment, its popularity levels have risen steadily not only in Singapore, but across the globe. The Netball Nations Cup is a tournament that will hopefully help to grow the sport of netball internationally.
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