S’pore’s netballers juggle work and studies with sport ahead of Singlife Nations Cup

SINGAPORE – Just over a year ago, Angelina Lim, 26, was among the supporters in the stands at the OCBC Arena, cheering on Singapore’s netballers at the Nations Cup.

When the Singlife Nations Cup returns from Nov 2 to 8, she will be back at the same venue – this time on the court, following her return to the national team in April after a year-long break.

A comeback was not always on the cards. She had stepped away to explore life beyond netball, as it became increasingly difficult to juggle her full-time job as a youth worker at her church along with the demands of elite sport.

“After six years of training and having to balance that with work, always put in a situation of having to choose which one to forgo was getting tiring,” said Lim, who plays wing attack and centre.

“There was also the guilt sometimes that was eating me inside, so having to take that break helped me focus on what I needed to do.

“Apart from netball and being a bit tired from training, it was that time where I always wanted to see what were the other things I could do if I wasn’t training.

“So that helped me to take some personal time off to spend more time with family, friends and invest myself in work.”

There were moments when she wondered how long she could keep going in the sport and decided to take a step back as she felt she was not in the right mindset to perform her best.

While she continued to train and play for her club Sneakers, the break allowed her to go on mission trips and get more involved in church life.

Still, she found herself missing competing with the national team, which prompted her return.

Like her, many of her teammates also face the challenge of juggling their sporting pursuits with commitments outside of netball.

During the Netball Super League season earlier in 2025, there were times when defender Miki Ng, who is a junior doctor, rushed to games after completing an overnight shift at the hospital.

The 25-year-old, who is completing a six-month rotation at National Cancer Centre Singapore, noted that it was challenging as she could never predict how tiring her night would be.

But she looked after herself by making sure she was seated and resting whenever she could, while ensuring that she drank enough water throughout the shift.

An irregular schedule that includes weekend and night shifts also affects the number of training sessions that she can attend.

While it is not easy, Ng, who will feature in the developmental Singapore A team at the Nations Cup, still believes there is more to achieve in the sport.

She said: “What keeps me going is the question about what would happen to me if I stopped netball. The answer is, I’m not ready to stop netball.

“The sport itself, the company that I have here, the team aspect is what keeps me in the sport. In some way, it is very much my way of relaxation. This is much needed for my mental health also.

“So it’s that, plus having something else outside of work to drive towards.”

For Amandeep Kaur Chahal, who plays goal shooter and goal attack, the past year has been about learning how to balance her PhD studies with her sporting commitments.

The 25-year-old began her PhD in performance analysis at Nanyang Technological University in 2024, and admitted that the transition was not easy.

As compared to her undergraduate days – when her schedule allowed more time to rest and strike a better balance between academics and sport – she initially struggled to switch off from her research, thinking about work even during training.

Over time, Amandeep has grown accustomed to juggling both roles and found ways to make things more manageable, like stopping her schoolwork by 5pm to let herself unwind before training starts at about 7.30pm.

“The way I always look at it is, younger me always wanted to be a national player,” said Amandeep, whose four-year PhD was inspired by her experience on the national scene.

“Later in life, I realised I was going to do my PhD. I didn’t know how it would pan out juggling both, but now that I’m doing it, what pushes me is that I’m where I want to be when I was younger so I just take it in my stride.”

Amandeep and her teammates will be keen to put on a good showing at the Nations Cup.

Ranked 22nd in the world, the Vandas open their campaign against Isle of Man (31) on Nov 2, before taking on Papua New Guinea (33), defending champions Kenya (23), South-east Asian rivals Malaysia (28) as well as the Singapore A side.

National coach Tara Steel said: “We’re really keen to test ourselves against our international opponents. Over the next six weeks, we’ve got two big tournaments.

“So Singlife Nations Cup, job No. 1, try and win gold for that, we’re keen to chase that.

“It should be a great tournament with a diversity of styles but ultimately, the goal is to win and then back it up and win the SEA Games (in Thailand in December) as well.”

Tickets for the Nations Cup are available via

ticketmaster.sg