The Brunei Darussalam national netball team picked up their first victory in the 13th Asian Netball Championships (ANC) after defeating Chinese Taipei 66-20 at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bangalore, India yesterday.
The result provides a much-needed boost for the national netball team, also called the Royal Bees, after starting their campaign with two losses against Thailand and Hong Kong.
With both sides determined to get their campaign off and running, the Royal Bees was in inspired form leading by 17-6 in the first quarter.
Brunei’s goal-shooter Nur Hafizah Sidek was in her usual instrumental best which was a contrast to Chinese Taipei’s attacking form whose shooting accuracy has not been precise.
The national team took the initiative holding a 8-2 lead but their opponents were guilty of not converting at least four opportunities. It was a similar start to the second quarter as Brunei continued their sharpness while Chinese Taipei were left regretting with their missed opportunities.
The Chinese Taipei team have shown a good display on court but their finishing left them down.
In one instance, a series of misses ultimately ended the ball kissing the rim and allowed Brunei to counter rapidly and punish with devastating effect.
Within seconds of Chinese Taipei’s failed attempt, the transition between defence to attack led to another valuable point as they built on their insurmountable lead.
The free-scoring Bruneians closed the second quarter with a flourish which was initiated after a brilliant interception by Eileen Koh.
The goal defender quickly moved the ball into attack as Hafizah completed a sweeping move with a 33-9 lead. National head coach Thilaka Jinadasa said, “We had a very tough two games in the last two days but the girls were really good. I’m happy because they fought back every quarter in their performance.
“We need to stick to our strategies so just playing one-on-ones and taking whatever the shooting need to be and maybe getting a 90-per-cent (rate),” said Jinadasa who led her native Sri Lanka to Asian glory in 2018.
“If we can maintain our rhythm and strategies, we will be better off on court,” she added.
Meanwhile, goal shooter Hafizah said, “We had a slow start (against Hong Kong) but we picked it up and had a better quarter in the fourth.
“We need to stick to our strategy playing short because that is what works most for the team. I think to lift the spirits of the team inside the court is the most important thing.”
Singapore, Iraq and Bahrain are also in Brunei’s group in Group ‘B’. – Fadhil Yunus
