On the 16th of April 2012 , Netball Singapore did a draw for an iPad 3 giveaway. The lucky lady was Ms Munirah Hamid ,who kindly obliged to a mini interview with us upon collection of her prize.

When asked ‘When and why did you start playing Netball?’ she answered, “ I started playing about four to five years ago after i graduated from Fu Chun Secondary school. I played as all my friends were involved and I decided to join in to gain a tighter bond and better fit in with them and because i thought Netball was fun.”

Munirah has been a long time supporter of Netball Singapore as when we questioned her on her participation in our Netball events, she mentioned “ i have taken part in the previous year’s Beach Netball festival and this year’s Mission Foods Beach Netball Festival.”

Munirah plays the Wing Attack position and also walked away with Netball Singapore’s very own mascot plush toy, Netalia .

The Facebook Netball Singapore, iPad 3 giveaway was for a randomly selected supporter of our association who has signed up for our mailing list and also ‘liked’ our page on facebook, the contest was just a way of saying ‘Thanks’ for the support. Do look out for our other various Facebook contests and stand a chance of walking away with other cool prizes!

Once again, Congratulations Munirah, Thank you for your constant support, we hope you enjoy our gift to you! (:

Have a great week, all.

I managed to catch two very exciting and nail-biting matches. The very first was Tanjong Katong Secondary (TKS)school vs Nanyang Girls high school’s(NYGH) ‘C’ division Finals. The match started slow for NYGH as the ended the first quarter with a score of 4 – 12 to TKS ,In the second quarter as the match started to heat up, the girls battled against each other with NYGH fighting to keep their goal difference to as small as possible a number and TKS trying to do the opposite , the quarter ended with a score of 18 – 14 to TKS , Despite the slippery court and roaring support , the girls kept their focus and continued battling it out with good defence by TKS and NYGH’s undying zest to put up a good fight , the third quarter ended with a score of 18- 26 to TKS. In the final quarter, the pressure was set on the girls as they played their hardest for the last 10 minutes of the School Nationals competition. Many times the players were seen colliding with each other in their desperate attempt to gain possession of the ball and others were tripping over each other or simply slipping on the floor when running across the courts. The final whistle was blown and the game ended and with resounding cheers from their loyal supporters, TKS took home the title of ‘C’ division champions of the School nationals 2012 competition with a score of 32- 25 to NYGH.

The second match started shortly after, with Convent of the holy infant Jesus(HIJ) battling it out with Singapore Sports School(SSS) for the ‘B’ division finals. Seated on opposite sides of the stadium, were approximately a 100 over students from the respective schools singing school songs and blasting cheers in support of the players. The first quarter began with a slow start for HIJ as they struggled to get possession of the ball, with the SSS Netballers being approximately a head taller than the HIJ girls, defence became an issue HIJ had to face to , the first quarter ended with a score of 3- 10 to SSS. The second quarter was still tough for HIJ as they again struggled to get possession of the ball by trying to intercept on passes between the SSS girls and even to diving for the ball , The second quarter ended with SSS scoring almost twice as much as HIJ with a score of 13- 7, respectively. Panic seemed to set in on HIJ in the third quarter as they tried their very best to catch up but to no avail resulting in a 12-23 to SSS . The last quarter of the ‘B’ division school nationals with nail biting and truly kept supports at the edge of their seats, still going head strong and not willing to step back was HIJ who were desperate for chances to shoot the goals and SSS who were trying to get more goals in or at least hold the game and kill time so their opponents would have lesser opportunities, HIJ strived to the very last end but still lost 14 – 27 to SSS . SSS was crowned Champions of the ‘B’ division school nationals and was greeted by the very loud resounding applause from the supporters , they girls then shook hands with their opponents and with grace , gave a bow in a gesture of thanks to their supports and the supporters of their opponents, before celebrating.

The day ended with a prize presentation ceremony graced with the oresence of Singapore’s Head netball coach , Kate Carpenter.

Congratulations girls!

So here we go!

First and foremost, meet the only Man in the trio, Pung Ying who prefers to be called PY and attached to Operations.

In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with his friends, catching the latest blockbuster movies, the occasional clubbing and the most important activity- eating. According to the man himself, he spends 90% of his money on food.

His sporting background includes playing badminton which he is rather fond of. After graduating from Republic Polytechnic, he hopes to get a job in the sports industry but not after serving his national service.

When questioned on his experience at Netball Singapore so far, he said, “Pretty good, it’s close enough to what i had expected it to be. Also, the colleagues are all approachable and helpful; they care a lot about our welfare. Oh and Wynne (NS’ Marketing Executive) eats a lot!”

Next up, we have our Technical intern, Ramizah, who prefers to be called Mizah.In her free time, she likes to stay at home to surf the net, watch television and hanging out with her friends. Her sporting interest includes playing netball, running and occasionally badminton.

She intends to work in the sports industry for about a year after she graduates from school then continue with studying.

When questioned on her experience at Netball Singapore, she says, “I like the people here, they are nice, friendly and they take care of our welfare, overall the company is good in general.”

Last but not least, meet the marketing intern, Stephanie, who prefers being called Steph.She enjoys chilling out by reading a good book in a cafe, going to the beach and hanging out with her friends.

Steph was swimmer before converting to water polo. She also enjoys netball and tennis.

She intends to travel for a bit then pursue a degree in sports management and thereafter get a job in the sports industry.

When questioned on her experience at Netball Singapore, she says, “So far the experience has been interesting and i have learnt quite a bit from my supervisors, my colleagues have been really nice and supportive, ever willing to help me out and the entire company looks after our welfare very well. I am looking forward to the rest of my internship stay here.’

That’s it for now . Tata! (:

We did a brief interview with the lady herself and this is what we found out…

Miss Yau, graduated from Nayang Polytechnic with a Diploma in Sports and Wellness Management, she chose to work for Netball Singapore as she was looking for a new challenge after working several years in the Country Club scene.

In her free time, she plays Tennis and supports Swiss professional tennis player, Roger Federer. Other things she enjoys doing includes travelling and going for long distance runs.

Although she has never played Netball before, she is currently trying to understand the game starting from reading up on the rules in order to prepare herself for the Netball Super League games.

Once again, welcome on board Miss Yau, we hope you have a great experience working here with us at Netball Singapore.

The day started bright and early with the first matches of the day kicking off at 10am sharp. With the new format change, in which there was a general round played then followed by segregating them into the winner’s pool and a loser’s pool category, the competitive energy filled the air in almost no time as teams battled it out to reach the top.

Mission Foods was the title sponsor of the event and had provided teams with complimentary chips as part of their goodie bags (which also consisted of other goodies from our sponsors such as Banana Boat’s sunblock and Fitness First’s five-day exclusive guest membership pass).  The games were play on six courts and in the perimeter of the courts, stationed were coolers filled with chilled water from FairPrice. The Wiiings Girls from Red Bull also came down in the afternoon and went around serving Red Bull to the participants, which was a treat considering the heat!

During the lunch break, fringe activities were played and participants of these activities won attractive prizes from our sponsors. These activities also allowed participants to mingle with the local National Players who took part in certain games as well. There was also an exhibition match played by our very own National players which captivated the attention of everyone around.

However the day did not stay sunny throughout as the teams had to stop twice due to the heavy rain accompanied by lightning and thunder, the teams patiently waited it out and rested and got back on the courts to play the final round.

Taking home the Grand Prize of one-thousand dollars in cash, Fitness First packages and Mission Foods prize hampers for the Women’s Open were the Murderers who beat Sonique 7-0. From the Mixed Open category, Frenz topped it off after overcoming Beach Khakis in a very narrow 7-6 victory. For the Women’s Under-23 category, the battle was between teams Super Mary-O and Barricado, with the 5-3 result sending the Barricado’s to victory. The second and third placing teams were awarded with $500 in cash, together with Mission Food hampers and $300 cash also with mission food hampers, accordingly.

The event was a success on a whole, despite the small weather disruption, everyone went home happily, most with prizes and the rest with better forged friendship and an enjoyably day out at the beach.

More netball courts are now made available to you! Sengkang Community Centre aims to position itself as a satellite centre in the North East for Netball and has built 2 brand new netball courts open for booking now.  These new courts come with new poles with padding and water coolers just next to the community centre. Our advantages are as follows:-

1) Rates are only at $7/hr, regardless of peak/ non-peak/ public holidays for this promotional period. Floodlights are available for night-time use too. Remember, to qualify for this SPECIAL RATE, you have to book through this email: katana.netball@gmail.com

2) You will be able to block book for up to 6 months if you are planning on organising leagues, conduct regular trainings/ courses or even arrange friendlies.

3) We are conveniently located next to Sengkang MRT, Compasspoint Shopping Centre and 24hr Kopitiam with ample parking and convenient public transport.

Sengkang Community Hub
2 Sengkang Square
Singapore 545025
Show on Google Maps

Map of Sengkang Community Centre

Do check out more on our Facebook page at “Sengkang Community Centre Netball Courts” or email us at katana.netball@gmail.com for any enquiries.

We are championing to develop Netball as a heartland sport in Singapore. Therefore your participation in making full use of the newly built netball courts in Sengkang, will strengthen our position to maintain and even push for the building of more courts in this premium location in the future! We welcome anyone who has played or are interested to learn and have fun to join us at SKCC netball courts.

We look forward to your support!

Sincerely,

Katana Netball Team

Punggol Central Community Sports Club

1. Send in your 

- Name, Email, Contact Number and Age

to Naresh at email by 10th July 2011.

2. Netball Singapore invites you to ‘Like’ us on our Netball Singapore Facebook page! & World Netball Championships 2011 Facebook page!

3. The winner will be notified via email by end of July 2011!

All the best!

Terms & Conditions apply:

- You must send in your details & join Facebook and like both our Facebook pages (Netball Singapore & World Netball Championships 2011) to qualify for the Lucky Draw

- The Draw will be made at the end of July 2011.

- The winner must make collection of the iPad 2 – after announcement of results at Netball Singapore’s office during office hours, Mondays-Fridays, 9am-6pm.

The Official World Netball Championships Merchandise is on sale now!

Merchandise include: white comfortable socks, Limited Edition Collector Pins, Tops & More!!!

http://wnc2011shop.com/

Be sure to visit the above site to obtain more information!

12 more days to WNC 2011 guys!

SINGAPORE – Sitting courtside after a training session at Northland Secondary School, national team-mates Nurul Baizura Abdul Razak, Vanessa Lee and Charlene Porima burst into laughter recounting one another’s habits on tour.

“Charlene spends a lot of time on her hair,” said 21-year-old Baizura.

New Zealand native Porima, 33, retaliates by recounting Baizura’s hair obsession after she got hers braided during their Africa tour last month.

Meanwhile, the duo tease Lee about her “neatness”.

Spending time on-and-off the court has clearly cemented the relationship between the trio, who share the roles of centre and wing defence in the 12-strong national squad that will do battle at the Mission Foods World Netball Championship (July 3-10) at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Psychology student Baizura is the newcomer to the midcourt/defensive line-up this year, linking up with Lee and Porima who also competed in the 2007 world championship in Auckland.

Said Baizura: “Initially, my passes were horrible, and I depended a lot on Vanessa and Charlene for guidance.

“It’s definitely pressurising going from the under-21s team to the open squad, especially when I had to switch from playing purely defensive roles (goal defence, wing defence, goal keeper) to the centre position in mid-court. But they are very nice to me and have been such a great help.”

Baizura and team-mate Chen Lili, who will join the team if she gets her citizenship application approved by July 3, are the newcomers to the world championship squad named by head coach Kate Carpenter on Monday.

Lee, 27, is considering retiring after the world championship and believes her younger compatriots will be able to take over the mantle.

“It’s always good to have young people in the team because some of us will be retiring after this competition,” said Lee, who has 32 caps.

Added Porima, a detective who plays for Christchurch club Kereiu: “Baizura will be a future leader in the team and will guide the rest in mid-court.”

Visit www.wnc2011.com for more information on the event.
Photo Credits: Redsports

By Low Lin Fhoong, Today Online
10 June 2011

THE provisional netball squad named by Singapore yesterday to take part in next month’s Mission Foods World Netball Championships threw up a welcome surprise.

England-based Asha Tett, who last helped Singapore win the 2005 Asian Championships, has decided to represent the Republic again, having just completed her tertiary studies.

The 25-year-old can play in three positions – goal shooter, goal attack and wing attack.

More importantly, having played with England national team players at club level, she brings a wealth of top-level nous to a team loaded with veterans like Jean Ng, Premila Hirubalan and Pearline Chan.

And, with key goal shooter Tan Hui Yan still recovering from knee injury – and her deputy, Cassandra Soh, ruled out of the tournament with a stress fracture to her left fibula – Tett’s inclusion provides much-needed boost to the thin attacking line.

Said Tett: “I’m raring to go, and obviously I have a lot of training to do to make sure that I am at my peak at the end of June. I’m very excited to come home to play for Singapore.”

Coach Kate Carpenter said they had considered her for the past 11/2 years, adding that “it was a big decision for Asha because this means she is ineligible to play for England for the next four years”.
“She knows our style of play, which emphasises quick, flat passing and crisp execution. With her versatility in three positions, we are positive that she will be a strong addition to the team,” she said.

Ng, having amassed 86 caps and participated in three previous World Championships, will captain the side for the July 3-10 tournament at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The 33-year-old said: “It’s great that we have a strong nucleus with plenty of experience. We know what it takes to play at a high international level.”

Besides the uncertain status of Tan, the team also have to wait to hear if 21 year-old goal keeper Chen Lili will be granted citizenship in time for the tournament.

The national team will continue their preparations, with the Australian Institute of Sports team as their training partners from June 17.

They will also play New Zealand and Northern Ireland in final practice matches before their first game against Botswana on July 3.

By Chia Han Keong, Asia One
07 June 2011