Kenya beat Singapore 49-36 at netball’s Mirxes Nations Cup

SINGAPORE – Even before their Mirxes Nations Cup fixture against Singapore on Sept 3, Kenya’s national netballers made their presence felt at the OCBC Arena with their unique warmup routine.

Against a backdrop of Kenyan gospel music, the players limbered up for the match, with some of their drills mimicking dance moves.

It was not just their warmup that was unorthodox. On the court, their unpredictable style caused trouble for Singapore, with world No. 30 Kenya beating the 25th-ranked hosts 49-36.

Playing a game of constant passing to keep possession, Kenya made Singapore work hard and chase the ball in an attempt to match their opponents.

Kenya coach Ali Mugisha said: “The team gave their best. Singapore are a very structured team, well-developed from the grassroots – the foundations and basics are very good.

“You can see they’re very good on centre passes, they have that very quick zone defence. I’m very happy that we could break them down and I’m so proud that Singapore gave us a very good game.

“It was just a joy to watch the ladies go toe to toe and enjoy it.”

The Africans were also spurred on by the 44-37 loss to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) the previous day, said captain Parin Simiyu, 43.

The win over Singapore gave them a fighting chance of making the final on Sept 7. After the first three matches, the unbeaten UAE top the six-team standings, while Singapore and Kenya are level with two wins and one loss.

The match against Singapore started evenly, but it did not take long for the visitors to take a lead that they never relinquished.

Simiyu said: “When we lost, it gave us the motivation to work on our weaknesses because we knew it was a very important match for us.”

The other matches on Sept 3 saw the UAE beat Canada 64-39, while Ireland notched a 59-48 win over developmental side Singapore A.

Another key factor behind the Kenyans’ performance was their mindset of having fun. They celebrated their win by showing off more dance moves on court after the match.

Even their dressing was eye-catching. Some officials donned big hats with Kenyan flag colours on Sept 3, while their headgear featured flowers the day before.

Mugisha said: “We’re showing the joy – that we’re not just here to compete but to have fun, enjoy and share our dreams with other people.”

The result also signified the previously unranked team’s progress over the past five years, after overcoming a lack of finances.

A national federation had been set up and resources have been given to help the sport grow in Kenya as the team eye a spot at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Singapore co-captain Khor Ting Fang gave credit to their opponents, saying: “Kudos to Kenya for bringing it to us.

“They really kept control of the game, they really held on to the ball, and at some times we had difficulty turning over the ball to them.

“But on our side, we spoke about cleaning up some things like being more controlled with our passes, being better at decision making and keeping possession of the ball... I think we did really well on that front.”

Singapore suffered a scare after co-captain Toh Kai Wei limped off with an ankle injury in the second quarter. But the 28-year-old, who mainly plays wing-attack and goal-attack, returned to the court in the final quarter.

Pointing to the standings, the Republic’s coach Annette Bishop highlighted that the remaining two games will be important.

They will play Singapore A on Sept 4 (7pm), before taking on UAE on Sept 6 (7pm). The other fixtures on Sept 4 will see Ireland facing UAE (3pm) and Canada meeting Kenya (5pm).

Bishop added: “We didn’t give up and that’s one thing we have to be proud of... It toughens us up. Both games will be very crucial.”