Brunei's netball squad pose for a photo prior to their departure for Singapore yesterday. BT/ Syarif Rasani
National netball captain Asziah Mohd Aszmi hopes that the team will learn from their four-game exposure tour in Singapore this week.
"We hope we can gain more experience because, for most of the players here, it's their first time competing at an international level," Asziah told The Brunei Times before departing for Singapore yesterday.
"From what we will learn, we hope to do well in the upcoming Sept 7-14 9th Asian Netball Championship." Asked if she expects the games to be hard, Asziah replied: "Yes, they will be because Singapore's level in netball is very high. They have really tough and tall players and they are just very good." Asziah added that it was important for them to win their games, in order to be sent by the government to the upcoming Southeast Asian Games in Singapore next year.
The national pool will have their opening game against the Singapore's Under-17 team today followed by a match against the Under-19 squad tomorrow. They will then get to test their skills against Division 1 champions of the Energizer National League, Sneakers, on Wednesday before finishing off against a mix of the Under-21 and senior team on Thursday. Brunei have gone six for six so far in their exposure games this year.
The squad first travelled to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, where they picked up four of their wins, defeating the senior side 41-37 and 47-29 and the Under-21 team 55-36 and 51-21. Singapore Sports School's Under-16 squad were their next two wins, when they visited Brunei in June. They were outplayed 37-29 and 45-25.
Brunei Netball Association president Datin Paduka Hjh Intan Hj Md Kassim was present at the airport to send off the 16 players and three officials.-Syarif Rasani
