SINGAPORE: The Singapore national netball team recaptured the Asian Netball Championship title with a hard-fought 67-64 victory in overtime against defending champions Sri Lanka at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru, India on Oct 27.
Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, also lauded the win and commended the team’s tireless efforts and unwavering dedication, culminating in a resounding triumph.
“Our phenomenal TeamSG netball players have emerged victorious, ending a decade-long wait since our last triumph in 2014!” expressed Minister Tong on his social media.
The Vandas have a rich history in the competition, first grasping the coveted trophy in 2005 and subsequently achieving a back-to-back victory in 2012 and 2014.
However, their dominance was temporarily halted as Malaysia emerged victorious in the 2016 edition, with Sri Lanka securing the runner-up position and Singapore settling for a commendable third place.
The latest victory was particularly sweet for Singapore, as it marked a triumphant redemption from their previous heartbreaks, having suffered back-to-back finals defeats against Sri Lanka in 2018 and 2022, with both editions hosted at the OCBC Arena, Singapore Sports Hub.
“After a decade-long wait, Singapore Vandas brings the title back home!
Through unwavering determination and grit, the girls defeated Sri Lanka in a groundbreaking match at the finals of the 13th Asian Netball Championships 2024 in India.
We feel so proud (of) their efforts,” posted Netball Singapore on their Facebook page.
Singapore exhibited a dominant performance in the competition, winning all their group stage and knockout round matches.
The Vandas topped Group B and subsequently secured a coveted spot in the final with a convincing 54-46 triumph against Malaysia in the semi-finals, setting the stage for their ultimate championship victory.
“Having won all their matches thus far, our netballers headed to the Finals as the underdog as they faced 6-time champions Sri Lanka.
But in a riveting 60-minute showdown, our netballers displayed unyielding determination and grit throughout the match to clinch a nail-biting 67-64 victory,” added Minister Tong.
The Vandas started their Asian Netball Championship campaign with an emphatic 122-3 win over Iraq on Oct 18. They continued their dominance with a 107-10 win against Bahrain two days later and 94-27 against Brunei the following day.
The Vanda, who are led by interim head coach Yee Mee Hong, won their remaining round-robin matches against Thailand (78-42), Hong Kong (67-42), and Chinese Taipei (92-17).
Netball Singapore announced the departure of former head coach Annette Bishop following the 2024 Nations Cup final.
The vacant position was filled by Singapore ‘A’ head coach Yee and supported by former Australian Diamonds captain and head coach Jill Mcintosh.
The Singapore national netball team turned their attention to the next edition of the Nations Cup and the 2025 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, which will be held at the end of next year.
The Vandas won the gold medal at the 2015 SEA Games hosted by Singapore. In the 2017 and 2019 SEA Games, Singapore had to contend with the silver medal, as they lost to Malaysia in both finals.
Fresh from their triumphant win at the Asian Netball Championship, the Singapore national netball team will be turning their attention to the next edition of the Nations Cup and the 2025 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, slated to take place at the end of next year.
The Vandas are no strangers to SEA Games success, having clinched the coveted gold medal on home soil in 2015.
However, their quest for regional dominance was thwarted by arch-rivals Malaysia in the 2017 and 2019 editions, with the team settling for silver on both occasions.
Now, with redemption on their minds, the Vandas are poised to mount a strong challenge and reclaim their rightful place at the SEA Games netball competition.