Quality continues to rise at the Inter-Gulf Netball Championship

Jay Asser 06:20 07/03/2016
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  • A great advertisement: Action from the Inter-Gulf Netball championship final.

    Netball may only be a popular sport in some segments of the globe, but its role in advancing women’s sports in the Middle East is what makes it so valuable to this part of the world.

    The strongest indication of netball’s worth, specifically to the UAE, was on full display in this past weekend’s Inter-Gulf Netball Championship, which brought together female athletes numbering in the hundreds for the tournament’s 30th anniversary at The Sevens in Dubai.

    The two days of competition featured 27 teams from across the GCC, representing the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, making the event a truly international affair.

    Though the competition was fierce, every team and player appeared to enjoy themselves, as well as promote good sportsmanship. It’s no wonder then that the tournament has been running for as long as it has.

    “It’s been going for 30 years,” said Becky Manson, captain of cup-winning Dubai A in the competitive bracket. “They started as very much a social thing and then became more competitive.

    “Certainly in the last 10 years, it’s been an incredibly competitive event, showing the standard of women’s sport across Dubai. From our perspective, we just want more of it, more women sport. The girls coming through the school are there and that’s the future.”

    Manson and her team once again dominated on the court, capturing the title for the third straight year with an 11-6 win over the Abu Dhabi Falcons in the final.

    Though Dubai’s goal attack of Kat Chase and goal shooter Helene Smith outscored Abu Dhabi’s Nichola Aiono and Ainsley Clark, respectively, the overarching result was a win for netball in the UAE.

    Sarah Gage, chairwoman of Abu Dhabi Netball League, said: “We were pleased to improve on last year’s result and to bring young new talent into the competition. We are excited with the international opportunities that are presenting themselves through the Asia Netball Federation.

    “Along with Dubai we are able to offer players overseas experiences to strengthen netball in the Middle East and expose players to the international netball scene.”

    The development of netball in the region will continue this coming weekend with the inaugural Youth Inter-Gulf Netball Championship, to be held at The Sevens on Friday, March 11.

    What is still missing, however, is a netball association in the UAE, which both Dubai and Abu Dhabi are collaborating on as the next step to establish the sport.

    “Dubai Netball League has worked throughout the year to strengthen relationship with Abu Dhabi Netball with a common goal of further enhancing efforts in the creation of the UAE Netball Association,” said Sara Donovan, chair of Dubai Netball League.

    “Such a federation will present numerous benefits,” she added.

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