Netball Singapore has received a boost ahead of a busy and eventful year for the national team, with home-grown biotechnology company MiRXES coming on board as a title sponsor for the 2023 and 2024 editions of the Nations Cup.
As part of the sponsorship, MiRXES, a leading Asian research and development diagnostics powerhouse that creates and offers multi-cancer solutions, will also provide health screening for the national netball players. The baseline screening will enable the players to optimise their body for performance by understanding unique body baseline, as well as zooming in on specific risks and taking action with customisable plans that are centred around unique needs and lifestyles.
“We are very proud to be partners with MiRXES, a leading bio-technology firm in Singapore, offering a range of cutting-edge services and products including screening and diagnostic testing for early-stage gastric cancers. We would like to thank MiRXES for their commitment to netball, the largest female team sport in Singapore. Uplifting local sport can only be achieved with the backing of all stakeholders including the corporate community, and we hope to see more businesses supporting sport in Singapore,” said Jessica Tan, President of Netball Singapore.
Isaac Ho, co-founder and chief investment officer of MiRXES, is pleased to note that Netball Singapore’s programmes and his company’s mission are aligned, and this partnership will further enhance the two organisation’s agenda in promoting health and wellness through sports in Singapore.
“Netball Singapore’s programmes cater to people of all ages and encourage a healthy lifestyle through physical activity. This goes hand in hand with MiRXES’s mission to make early disease detection accessible and affordable in the community, ensuring Singaporeans lead healthier and longer lives. Through this partnership, we hope to complement Netball Singapore’s initiatives by raising awareness of the importance of preventive health and how MiRXES’s products and services are enabling preventive healthcare and precision medicine, aligned with Singapore’s Healthier SG initiative,” said Ho.
The Nations Cup is the most prestigious annual international event in Singapore and Asia. It features countries from most netball regions, including Europe, Africa, Oceania, and Asia. In 2022, the competition made a much-anticipated comeback after a two-year hiatus, with Botswana winning their first-ever Nations Cup title. The other teams competing were finalists Fiji, second runners-up Ireland, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Singapore won the first two editions of the tournament in 2006 and 2007 and was a finalist in 2019. In the inaugural tournament, Singapore lost to Papua New Guinea in the round-robin match but managed to turn the tide when the two teams met again in the final as the host won 46-41 at the Toa Payoh Sports Hall. The following year, Singapore defeated all their opponents in the group stage and won 56-32 against Trinidad and Tobago in the final.
“Healthcare is the most important element of our lives, and with 2023 being a big year for us, we’re grateful to have MiRXES here to support Singapore netball. I’m looking forward to learning more about their technology and how it can help me live my best life off the court,” expressed Charmaine Soh, national netball goal shooter.
The 2023 MiRXES Nations Cup will be held from the 22nd to the 28th of October and will be one of the highlights for the Singapore national netball team. They will play in the Pacific-Australia series on the Gold Coast in April, followed by a tour to South Africa in June. The national netball team will then compete in the Netball World Cup, which will be held in South Africa from the 28th of July to the 6th of August. After the MiRXES Nations Cup in October, Singapore returns to competition again the next month at the Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games in Bangkok, where netball is making its maiden appearance at the quadrennial multi-sport event.