Fadhil Yunus
Brunei Darussalam national netball team began their campaign in the 2022 Asian Netball Championship (ANC) with a 78-22 defeat to Malaysia at the OCBC Arena, Singapore Sports Hub in Singapore yesterday.
The opening group match marked the country’s first appearance at a major international competition since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Brunei, also known as the Royal Bees, was behind in the first quarter with Malaysia taking a 18-6 lead. The Brunei team is led by team captain Siti Marhayati binti Ahmad and assisted by vice captain Zuraidah binti Haji Amit, two of the senior players in a new-look squad.
The team also include Siti Nuril Nazihah binti Haji Awang Hassan, Hajah Nurul Ajeerah binti Abdullah, Nurulain binti Abdul Hamid, Norroshafizah binti Zanuidi, Nur Amirah Fazzeratul, Hidayah binti Puteh, Siti Faizah binti Azni, Dayangku Ummi Ramizah binti Pengiran Haji Jeluddin, Noor Zinatul Azimah binti Haji Ibrahim, Wong Jo Lin and Isabel Maria Pia Vele.
The national team is currently coached by newly-appointed coach Nur Hafizah binti Haji Awang Sidek, who is a former national team player.
The national team will continue their campaign in the preliminary round against Chinese Taipei today.
Meanwhile, Brunei’s certified match umpire Mohd Asmawi Sulaiman umpired the match between Sri Lanka and India.
