BRUNEI Darussalam national netball team will be hoping to provide a tougher challenge against Malaysia in the semi-finals of the netball event in the 29th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games at the Juara Stadium Bukit Kiara in Kuala Lumpur today.
The main aim for the national head coach Thilaka Jinadasa is to minimise the score in which they conceded and increase their own compared to the first round.
The pair’s clash in the first round ended with Malaysia cruising to a 64-27 win but Jinadasa has called for her charges to lower the opposition’s final score and add more to their total.
“In the semi-finals, we will meet most probably Malaysia again and it is just another game. Our plan is to control their scores and try to score more than when we score in the first round,” said Jinadasa following the defeat to Thailand in their last preliminary match.
Malaysia are expected to repeat a similar result and advance to the gold medal match against what likely looks to be a repeat of the 2015 final against reigning holders Singapore.
However, Jinadasa will be rallying her charges, who have invested a lot of sacrifice and commitment towards their SEA Games cause, to give a final push against opposition who are a nailed-on certainty for the final on Sunday.
“At the moment it’s only left with just to motivate the players to work even harder since we already reached the semis. Also, we might try a different line-up to try if we can challenge better in the semis,” she continued.
The head coach explained that there are injury concerns to four players adding that it is normal such is the nature of the competition.
