BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

SETIA Motors netball team produced a brilliant second-half display to edge favourites Ivy League 25-23 in the final to win the Setia Motors Netball Championship yesterday.

Angel Netball bagged bronze after beating Sixty9 15-6 in the battle of the third place in the one-day tournament at the Multipurpose Hall of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas.

Led by Her Royal Highness Princess Fadzilah Lubabul Bolkiah, Ivy League got off to a good start early in the first-half with Dk Yura Rania Halimatus Sa’adiah Pg Hj Yura Halim combining well with Nur Hafizah Hj Abdul Sidek in attack to score early points.

Setia Motor recovered midway into the first-half with centre Dk Khalisya Pg Abdul Rahman being their key player and dictating the pace of the game.

Dk Khalisya, who is a member of the national team, was controlling the play from the middle of the court to allow goal scorers Siti Nursyaahidah Rasyid and Nurul Ain Abdul Hairi score points as they drew 10-10 going into the second-half.

Setia Motor were rotating their players and they got ahead for the first time five minutes after the restart following a turnover by an Ivy League player.

Dk Khalisya was once again influential in providing cover in defence for her team with Siti Nursyaahidah and Nurul Ain getting their job done on offence.

Ivy League tried to get back into the game with few minutes remaining and pressed forward to turn things around, but nothing went right for them as they were missing shots to fall further behind.

“We never expected we could go this far and win the tournament, and this has been totally unbelievable,” said Setia Motors manager Norlizawati Hj Md Kassim after the match.

“Ivy League are one of the best netball teams in Brunei and for us to beat them in the final is definitely a very good achievement,”

“Dk Khalisya and Siti Nursyaahidah were fantastic in the final, but we could not have done it without the support and team work of the other players… So this title will go to all the players as they all really deserved it,” she added.

Setia Motor advanced to the final after beating Sixty9 16-9 in the semi-final.

They qualified for the last four after topping the Group A table with 12 points after four wins and one defeat.

Meanwhile, last year’s finalist Ivy League reached the championship decider after beating Angel Netball 12-9.

They won all their matches to record maximum of 12 points in the five-team Group B.

Khairul Nita Mohammad of Setia Motor won the tournament’s best player award.

HRH Princess Fadzilah Lubabul Bolkiah bagged the best attacker award, while the best defender award went to Izyanina Nadhirah Hj Mohd Yunos of Angel Netball.

Setia Motors General Manager James Chin awarded the prizes to the winners.

Setia Motors brought home a cash prize of $800, challenge trophy and medals.

First runners-up Ivy League walked away with a cash prize of $600, trophy and medals while second runners-up Angel Netball took home a cash prize of $400, trophy and medals.

One of the strongest netball teams in the country, Ivy League finished second in the previous edition of the tournament in 2013.

The Brunei Times