Netball around the World

Undefeated T and T, pictured here in Singapore for the 5 Nations Cup.


Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados will join Jamaica at the 2011 World Championships, after this week’s Americas qualification tournament held in St Lucia. Trinidad and Tobago defeated hosts St Lucia 57-45 to end the competion with a perfect unbeaten record. Barbados took second place in the tournament ahead of the home side. Canada, St Vincent and the USA also competed.

So teams competing in Singapore will be:

Singapore as Host

Australia

New Zealand

England

Jamaica

Malawi

Asia -Sri Lanka and Malaysia

Oceania -Fiji and Samoa

Europe –Northern Ireland and Wales

Americas – Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados

Africa – TBC after qualifiers

It promises to be an exciting competition. Gold and Platinum ticket packages are on sale now at http://www.wnc2011.com/home/index.php



The world’s top two nations, Australia and New Zealand, have named their squads for October’s Commonwealth Games, and there have been surprises from both countries with an uncapped player named in each side.



Defending Commonwealth champions New Zealand have included 22 year old Grace Rasmussen (pictured left) in the Silver Ferns squad for the first time, alongside three returning internationals – Leana de Bruin, Temepara George and Daneka Wipiti.



Meanwhile, there is no room for the experienced Bianca Chatfield in the Australian Diamonds team which was also named this week. The veteran defender, with 42 international appearances, has been overlooked in Norma Plummer’s squad of 15 players, from which the Commonwealth Games team will be selected. Queensland Firebird Amy Steel, 21, (pictured right) is the only uncapped player named in the side, which will be cut to 12 players after the upcoming internationals against New Zealand and Jamaica.



The full squads named are:

New Zealand: Liana Barrett-Chase, Leana de Bruin, Temepara George (vice-captain), Katrina Grant, Joline Henry, Laura Langman, Grace Rasmussen, Anna Scarlett, Maria Tutaia, Irene van Dyk, Casey Williams (captain), Daneka Wipiiti



Australia: Kate Beveridge, Madison Browne, Rebecca Bulley, Cath Cox, Susan Fuhrmann, Laura Geitz, Mo’onia Gerrard, Kimberlee Green, Renae Hallinan, Sharelle McMahon (captain), Natalie Medhurst, Lauren Nourse, Susan Pratley, Amy Steel, Natalie von Bertouch (vice-captain).



A team from the Khomas Region of Namibia has now completed the first week of its tour in the UK, with matches against North England regional training squads and Superleague team Leeds Carnegie . In addition, the team has worked with a number of conditioning experts, and former England coach Liz Broomhead, to improve match preparation and performance as well as coaching techniques. The side has now travelled on to Wales, where the Khomas team will take on Wales A, as well as two of England’s young development sides.



The Fiji Netball Association will this week interview applicants for the vacant positions of national coach and national team manager. Three candidates have been shortlisted for each post, and the Association’s interim president, Wainikiti Bogidrau, expects to announce the names of the country’s new coach and manager in the next week.



Netball in Swaziland is anticipating a significant boost in popularity after it was announced this week that the game is to be one of the sports featured in the nationwide Manzini Municipal Games. The competition, sponsored by the Nelson Mandela Foundation and Manzini Youth Care, will involve league matches for teams from 12 areas across the country and will also generate increased awareness of, and participation in, the game in those areas.



Finally, although not yet an IFNA Member, Netball continues to enjoy increased participation in Brunei. Last week, Persatuan Kebajikan Perempuan (PKP) team emerged as champions at the annual Belait PKP tournament , held to coincide with His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei's 64th birthday celebrations at the Mumong Sports Complex. They defeated KBNC in the final, while Pertiwi defeated Havoc for this place. The chairman of the event, Dyg Hjh Kertini binte OKPSD was encouraged by a record number of entries in this, the third year of the competition.