SEA Games: S’pore netballers boost spirits with 91-22 win over the Philippines

KUALA LUMPUR — Looking for a pick-me-up after their defeat to Malaysia the day before, Singapore’s netballers got what they wanted on Thursday (Aug 17) afternoon as they swept the Philippines aside in a 91-22 victory at the Juara Stadium.

The defending SEA Games champions were in control from start to finish against their inexperienced opponents and the fact that it was achieved with most of their regulars rested pleased head coach Yeo Mee Hong.

Goal attacker Toh Kai Wei made her first appearance in Kuala Lumpur, having not featured in the opening win against Brunei either, and gave a good account of herself by scoring 36 points as she dovetailed well with Jocelyn Ng in the circle.

“I thought the shooters played very well and the coaches are pleased,” Yeo said after the match.

“We were actually not looking at (how big) the scores were today. We wanted to work on areas like tidying up in defence, man-to-man (marking) and some structural play, and we practised those against the Philippines.”

Those were areas of improvement identified by Yeo after their 37-50 loss to the hosts the day before, although she insisted the result was not as bad as it looked.

“We were definitely disappointed with the result but not completely disappointed in the play,” she said.

“We had some good patches ... and these little things are what we want to get right next time round.”

Vice-captain Nurul Baizura echoed her coach’s sentiments and noted how the team has given every member of the 12-strong squad a runout in the tournament.

The centre herself, along with captain Vanessa Lee and co vice-captain Charmaine Soh, came on after half-time and played the rest of the match.

“Today was another opportunity to try out different players,” she said.

“The match against Malaysia was a group match, so the pressure wasn’t really on us.

“The bench players showed today they are ready to take over (if need be) ... The most important is to keep the positive vibes instead of dwelling (on the loss).”

Soh, who sank 27 of her 29 attempts, added: “Everyone is happy and in high spirits. As for the loss, it was more due to our own mistakes and if we can cut those out, the gap can be narrowed a lot.”

Singapore will next face Thailand in their final group match and there will be less room for experimentation there, as Yeo acknowledged the stiffer challenge they will pose.

She reiterated the need to be sharper on court as Singapore inches closer to a likely final showdown for gold against Malaysia.

“Hunting for more interceptions and executing well-timed passes, through court and feeding into the circle, that’s what we will be focusing on,” Yeo said.

“We are underdogs ... but we will definitely go for gold.”