SEA Games: Singapore netballers lose round-robin match 54-49 to defending champs Malaysia

MANILA - Singapore finished second in the round-robin stage of the SEA Games netball competition after a 54-49 loss to defending champions Malaysia on Friday (Nov 29).

The Republic started the match strong at the Santa Rosa Sports Complex to build a 6-2 lead, but tightened up towards the end of the first quarter as their Causeway rivals levelled the score at 11-11 and won the first quarter 15-12.

Singapore, the 2015 champions and 2017 runners-up, trailed by as many as six goals in the next quarter and had no answers to Malaysia's tight defence as the latter ended the first half with a 28-24 advantage.

After leaving the court at half-time, the Singapore side returned in the third quarter and came close to catching up. But Malaysia, whose shooters barely missed, always remained a step ahead even as their opponents reduced the margin to just one goal on several occasions in the second half.

Untimely errors from the Singapore team nearing the end of the match, coupled with a Malaysia side that held steady, sealed the win for the defending champions, who have been undefeated so far.

Captain Charmaine Soh told The Straits Times after clinching a record 119th cap on Thursday that she was humbled to have achieved the feat.

She added: "It is a great privilege to have been able to play this many games with people as passionate and dedicated to the sport. I would not have been able to sustain (my career) this long without the love and support of everyone (especially my family)."

She also noted that she did not expect to break the record - which had previously been held by former teammate Premila Hirubalan on 118 - when she started her career. She said: "At that time I was ecstatic just to be chosen!"

Singapore will next face Thailand in the semi-final on Sunday while Malaysia play Brunei.