NSL players vie for places in national squads

SINGAPORE – It may be a scaled-down Netball Super League that gets under way today at the OCBC Arena, but the 16th edition of Singapore’s domestic netball league will have plenty at stake.

With the 28th Southeast Asian Games to be held here only five months away, national head coach Ruth Aitken will be keeping close tabs on the competition, with places up for grabs in the national senior as well as 21-and-Under squads.

The senior team is set for not only the SEA Games assignment in June, but also the Netball World Cup in Australia two months later.

In March, Aitken is expected to name her 12 players, including five reserves, to represent Singapore at the SEA Games — the first time netball will feature in the biennial regional competition since its debut in 2001.

At the 2001 Kuala Lumpur Games, hosts Malaysia took the gold medal with Singapore as the runners-up. In the 14 years since, the Republic have held sway over their neighbours, as evidenced in the team defending the Asian Championships last September.

The NSL, usually a five-month-long affair, will run for only three weeks this time, although it will continue to feature an international player in each of the six teams, this time coming from Botswana and Fiji.

For Aitken, it is a matter of which players will come into form, as the New Zealander has shown no qualms in fielding new faces at competitions.

“It is the busiest year for netball in Singapore,and I want to have the right players with me,” said 58-year-old Aitken, who coached New Zealand to the world title in 2003, as well as the Commonwealth Games gold medal in 2006 and 2010.

“The under-21 team — M1 Sunfish — will also be playing at the NSL, so I will suss out talent from there too.

“It is too early to say whether I will field any new faces. If chosen for the national side, (they must)understand the huge commitment that comes with it and still want to be available at that level.”

With an eye on the SEA Games, Aitken wants her players to stay sharp. “The team to watch at the SEA Games is Malaysia, which we beat for World Cup qualification at the Asian Netball Championships and which will be looking to topple us at the SEA Games,” she said.

“We cannot be complacent just because we are Asian champions.” ADELENE WONG

Netball Super League 2015

Today at the OCBC Arena, Singapore Sports Hub

1.10pm Opening Ceremony

2pm Mission Mannas v Blaze Dolphins

4pm Sneakers Stingrays v Magic Marlins

6pm M1 Sunfish v Tiger Sharks