NETBALL – The kingdom’s netball national team, nicknamed the Bahrain Gazelles, bagged the silver medals over the weekend in the Saudi Netball Festival 2025 in Riyadh.
The Gazelles were a force in the two-day competition, held at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in the Saudi Arabian capital. They won four of their five matches in the preliminary round on the first day and then followed it up with a semi-final triumph on day two. But they later lost in the title-decider against the Diriyah Falcons 12-21 to come away as runners-up.
Gazelles head coach Jo Reed expressed her pride in the team’s performance in the competition. “The tournament provided an opportunity for Bahrain Netball to demonstrate how both youth and experienced players can combine to play dynamic, skilful, and exciting netball,” Reed told the GDN. “Disappointed not to come away as champions, but this was a great experience for the whole team.”
The Gazelles’ squad featured 10 players in the tournament, including team captain Rama Salem, vice-captains Khulood Sabah and Martine Timmer-Arends, Jeannine Wessels, Shamsa Thomas, Danet Leite, Dana Jaberi, Bryony Russel, Sandra Le Grange, and Dionne Thurland.
Reed was joined on the sidelines by team manager Narmeen Yousef and junior administrator Zam Zam Al Hejri.
The Gazelles were dominant in their victories. They opened their campaign by beating Al Ahsa AIS 28-0, and then defeated the Jubail Pearls 18-0. They then outplayed Albaha AIS 27-2 before enjoying a 13-4 triumph against the Riyadh Blazers. The kingdom’s representatives then drew 8-all with the Falcons in their final assignment of the first day.
On day two, the Gazelles once again faced the Blazers, this time in the final four. They won the contest convincingly 36-3, setting up their meeting in the final against the Falcons.
Following all the action, the top three teams were presented their respective trophies and medals in an awards ceremony.
“Led by our captain Rama, an inspirational netballer with many years of experience, the team showcased the skills of exciting youth players Dana and Shamsa, who were playing in their first international tournament for the Gazelles,” added Reed.
“In the pool matches, we led from start to finish in all our games and were only beaten by the clock in the tightly contested draw against the Falcons.
“In the semi-final against the Blazers, our superb defensive unit of Sandra and Dionne dominated the defending circle to limit the Blazers score to just three goals. Meanwhile, the centre court combinations of Martine, Rama, Dana, Danet, Jeannine, and newcomer Bryony kept the ball flowing at pace to give shooters Shamsa and Khulood the chance to score freely in the attacking circle, sinking a total of 36 goals in the match.
“In the final against the Falcons, the team faced a changed line-up with new players being drafted in. The Falcons were tough opposition and despite some questionable umpiring decisions throughout the match, the Gazelles showed grit, determination and a lot of resilience.”
The Saudi Netball Festival was the first competition for the kingdom’s netball national team since their historic participation last year in the 13th Asian Netball Championship in Bengaluru, India, which marked Bahrain’s debut on the continental netball stage. The Saudi event was also an important part of the squad’s preparations for the upcoming Inter-Gulf Netball Championship in April, which will be taking place in Abu Dhabi, the UAE.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
Top stories for today:
HEALTHCARE VOW: HRH Prince Salman visits sickle cell patient after his pioneering treatment
New medical opportunities
Tourism ‘vital for economic growth’
&uuid=(email))