Brunei Darussalam Netball
Association Honorary Secretary
Hjh Mariam Hj Mohammad (R)
speaking during yesterday's
8th Asian Youth Netball
Championship 2013 media
conference at the Multipurpose
Hall of the Hassanal Bolkiah
National Sports Complex in
Berakas. Picture: BT/ Ak Fauzi
Pg Salleh
Ten countries are set to compete in the 8th Asian Youth Netball Championship 2013, hosted by the Brunei Darussalam Netball Association (BNA).
The eight-day event from June 30-July 7 will feature teams from Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Nepal, Maldives, Thailand, India, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka.
The 10 teams will be divided into two groups of five.
Joining Brunei in Group A are India, Hong Kong, Japan and Malaysia.
Thailand, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Nepal and Maldives are in Group B.
The tournament will tip off with a Group A clash between hosts Brunei and Japan at the Indoor Stadium of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas on June 30 at 11.00 am.
The BNA have been preparing all year round for the annual competition and the national team are aiming for a top six finish in this year's edition.
"The players are ready and we are targeting a top six finish," said BNA honorary secretary Hjh Mariam Hj Mohammad during yesterday's media conference at the Multipurpose Hall of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas.
"We have been preparing for this after the International Netball Federation annual general meeting in Singapore in 2011 where we were selected to host the competition this year," she said.
BNA have organised a number of local tournaments to scout for players since March last year.
"The players were selected from the competitions that we organised over the past years," continued Hjh Mariam.
"Initially we selected 40 players. Over a series of training and selection, only 13 players were chosen to represent the country."
"Malaysia and Sri Lanka will be the toughest opponents. The players from Malaysia and Sri Lanka are very tall. They are the best in Asia," she added.
Brunei finished sixth in the previous edition of the competition in Sri Lanka last year.
Making their debut in the tournament, the national team proved their quality by racking up two wins and one draw in six matches.
