Singapore U-21 netball team claim Asian Youth C’ship title by beating Malaysia 49-29

SINGAPORE – The South Korean city of Jeonju witnessed the Singapore Under-21 team’s foiled attempt to regain the Asian Youth Netball Championship (AYNC) title in 2023, as they lost 49-45 to defending champions Malaysia in the final.

But at the Jeonju Hwasan Gymnasium – the very place where they fell two years ago – the Republic picked themselves up on July 4, beating the same opponents 49-29 to bring home the gold for the first time since 2017.

This was the fourth consecutive time that the Causeway rivals had met in the continental final, with Singapore prevailing eight years ago before losing in 2019 and 2023.

Singapore co-captain Norah Gabriel said they did not expect to win, as “Malaysia are a challenging team”, adding: “We were just focusing on our own game plan and our own process.”

That was enough for them to get off to a positive start before they consolidated their advantage.

Singapore ended the first quarter with a 15-7 lead, extending their cushion to 26-14 and 37-20 after the second and third quarters respectively, before sealing victory in the final stanza against the seven-time champions.

The Republic had romped to the final after topping the group stage, beating India (76-29), Malaysia (47-30), Hong Kong (65-19) and Sri Lanka (63-19). Malaysia finished second.

Singapore coach Yeo Mee Hong chalked up their triumph to the team’s consistent ability to stick to the basics and adhere to the game plans, which were switched depending on the opponents they were facing.

“We continue to grow each week, in terms of performance; each individual and team performance was growing over the week, through the final,” said the 61-year-old, who was named Coach of the Year at the Singapore Sports Awards in June for ending the senior team’s decade-long wait for the Asian Netball Championship crown in 2024.

She was delighted that the U-21 girls were able to emulate their seniors by reaching their goal. 

For Gabriel, the focus during the final was on playing well and improving by applying each lesson she had learnt in the previous two years on the court. The 21-year-old was also part of the squad that had lost to Malaysia in the 2023 final. 

Support from teammates was also key to the girls’ success – together with fellow co-captain, Charlotte Lee, Gabriel would have mini pep talks with the squad before each match, using breathing exercises to calm their nerves.

“During the game, we just make sure that we are all encouraging each other and cheering for each other, be it off and on the court,” said Lee, 19.

“This really helps to ease the pressure, and kind of distribute it off to everybody,” added Lee, who contributed 24 goals, with fellow attacker Zulfa Rashad Rayhan scoring the other 25.

This was the final appearance in the U-21 championship for Lee and Gabriel.

Lee added: “I’m really, really proud of this team, and glad that we managed to pull through and focus on this season to secure the win this time. And we definitely hope that our teammates who will get to play in the next AYNC will be able to carry this drive and passion forward into the next championship.”

The squad will be taking a short break before preparing for their next big competition – the Netball World Youth Cup, which will take place from Sept 19 to 28 in Gibraltar. 

The Republic, who will be aiming to improve on their 18th place at the last edition in 2017, were drawn into Group B, which also comprises Scotland, Samoa, Northern Ireland and four-time winners Australia. 

Malaysia and Sri Lanka, the second- and third-placed teams at the AYNC, have also qualified for the 20-team tournament.

“We are in a very difficult grouping and definitely we would like to perform well,” said Yeo. 

“We’re taking one step at a time and ensuring that they are keeping fit, and also strength and conditioning are taken care of prior to the competition, just ensuring that we are doing all our basics right and hoping to get good results.”