A TWO-DAY tournament to celebrate 40 years of Bahrain Netball (BN), the governing body for the sport in the kingdom, kicks off this morning at the Bahrain Rugby Football Club (BRFC).
Five teams – four from Bahrain and one from Saudi Arabia – will take part in the Bahrain Netball 40th Anniversary Tournament with a special guest, Princess Ghada bint Abdullah Al Saud, the chairwoman of Saudi Netball, in attendance.
She will be joined by Bahrain Tennis Federation (BTF) president Shaikh Abdulaziz bin Mubarak Al Khalifa and senior executives from the General Sports Authority (GSA) and Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) as well as BRFC chairman Mike Cunningham and BRFC general manager Paul Terblanche.
“This occasion bears testimony to four decades of passion, teamwork and excellence,” BN president Khulood Sabah, who will captain one of the Bahraini teams, told the GDN.
“Bahrain Netball celebrates its monumental 40-year journey through this tournament, a testament to the enduring spirit of the sport. From humble beginnings to an extraordinary milestone, this remarkable journey embodies the power of sportsmanship and camaraderie.
“Join us as we commemorate this remarkable achievement and look forward to many more years of thrilling netball action!”
The sport has come a long way in the kingdom since its first season in 1983-84 which featured 60 players. In recent years, the number has never dipped below 170.
And, earlier this month, the sport took a major step towards finally receiving official recognition from the government when the BTF informed Sabah that Bahrain Netball would, henceforth, fall under its umbrella with the GSA and the BOC being notified about the development.
After a one- or two-year trial run, BN may be accorded the status of a proper federation, which would boost the growth of the game significantly in the kingdom.
For now, though, BN is purely focused on ensuring the landmark tournament goes off without a hitch.
“We are all set to host the celebratory 40th anniversary tournament of Bahrain Netball,” tournament director Jo Reed, who will also captain a Bahraini team, told the GDN.
“We’re really excited to be welcoming Princess Ghada, the president of Saudi Netball, the newest netball federation in Asia, so it’s fitting that they will be here to help us celebrate our 40th anniversary as one of the oldest netball communities in the region.
“We are also very grateful to Shaikh Abdulaziz and are thankful to the GSA and the BOC for their support.
“Our aim for the next couple of days is to host a well-organised tournament that enables all netball enthusiasts to enjoy the game in both a competitive and friendly environment to celebrate our 40th anniversary and all that is great about our sport.”
The tournament will start at 10.30am today, with 10 round-robin league matches taking place.
The final, semi-finals and third- and fourth-place play-offs will take place tomorrow.
The teams:
Bahrain Falcons – Khulood Sabah (captain), Gina Adendorff (vice-captain), Monique Juter, Stacey Clarke, Sandra le Grange, Gabriela Gbenro, Alice Brandreth and Amani Alasfoor.
Bahrain Pearls – Sara Kerr (capt), Nadia Agenbag (v-capt), Martine Timmer-Arends, Emma Chalmers, Dafnie Themistocleous, Helen Clark, Sonia Fowler and Helen McTiffen.
Bahrain Gems – Jo Reed (capt), Vikki Hughes (v-capt), Dionne Thurland, Jeannine Wessels, Cat Mutari, Leandra Stoltz, Emma Wales, Tina Achieng, Jannine Gammond and Anne Kent.
Bahrain Gazelles – Wasan Albasri (capt), Bella Baker (v-capt), Robyn Challenger, Chloe Pankhurst, Isabelle Botha, Poppy Kent, Lexi Morton-Shepherd, Dana Jaberi and Elizabeth Motloung.
Riyadh Netball – Maggie Tetsola (coach): Sara Rahim (capt), Alexandra Kempton (v-capt), Jacinta Lye, Safiyah Ali-Prince, Grace Stewart, Asfa Shahbaz, Emma Clare North, Angelene Abdelsalam and Molly Jane Leask.
Umpires – Dianne Le, Kelly Loy, Gracie Barnes and Isla Edgar.
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