Clint Derric Egbert Weaving the Net of Success
The Omani netball squad steps into the limelight, bravely surging forward in the InterGulf Netball Championship, earning them a reputable fifth place overall in the <strong>com</strong>petition There is no doubt that the Sultanate of Oman is quickly be<strong>com</strong>ing a sporting nation, producing some of the best sporting athletes in the Arab region. Soccer, motor racing, bodybuilding, hockey, tennis and beach sports are some of the many sports that have grown over the years. The most recent sport to have emerged from the shadows, and has made tremendous progress over the recent years, is netball. The sport has been dominated by women the world over and today Oman has its very own netball team – and a great one at that. Recently back from the InterGulf Netball Championship, which was held in Al Ain from <strong>March</strong> 3rd to 5th, <strong>2011</strong>, the Oman netball team, consisting of 11 girls, participated in a grueling <strong>com</strong>petition against 13 other professional teams. Competing in a tournament in which 240 players participated, our very own Oman team clinched a very respectable fifth place against some of the toughest veteran squads in the region; a feat that is truly admirable especially taking into the consideration the fact that they are a fairly new team. Y got the opportunity to meet with Janise Maddens the coach and captain of the Oman netball team – who was also voted and awarded the player of the tournament, the highest individual award earned in the game – to talk about the progress of netball as a sport here in Oman, and talk about their recent achievement as a team at the recently held InterGulf Netball Championship. Excerpts from the interview: Do you feel netball is a growing sport here in Oman There has definitely been a lot more interest this year. We had a significant number of entries that turned up. We had a stronger team this year and a much stronger defence, which was very different from before. Netball has grown a lot over the years. I remember in 1993 the game was taken very casually, but this year the tournament was very <strong>com</strong>petitive. Sponsorship too has grown, and that’s just great. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors for their support this year, who were Y Magazine, ID Tech, Delmon Hotel Group and Risktec. Thanks to the funding we managed to get the necessary gear that we required to <strong>com</strong>pete, like proper uniforms that made us feel and look good when <strong>com</strong>peting. How do you think the team faired at the InterGulf Netball Championship held in Al Ain recently This year we played in the <strong>com</strong>petitive pool, which meant the games were harder and the <strong>com</strong>petition fiercer. Even still, we did incredibly well and gave the rest of the <strong>com</strong>petition a bit of a scare. Many of the other teams underestimate the Omani team, but this year we gave them reason not to do so. We played against Dubai, which is one of the stronger teams; they won, but were only able to beat us by a couple of goals. This stands as testament to the improvement we have made as a team. What do you feel should be done to improve netball in Oman And what kind of support would you require to promote netball further The team trains in ABA, which is where we promote the sport as well. We believe that more schools in Oman should adopt the sport and teach it to their students. Unfortunately, we don’t have enough money; otherwise we would definitely <strong>com</strong>pete more often. So, sponsorship is always wel<strong>com</strong>ed and appreciated. What kind of coaching and training do the players undergo to stay in shape Melinda Clarke, a friend of mine, came all the way from Korea where she stays, to help me coach the team; such is the kind of dedication we have towards the team and the sport. I thank her dearly for her support. It’s very difficult to coach and play at the same time, and playing in the tournament was very stressful and strenuous. People may think netball is an easy sport, but it’s actually very challenging. We played many long and tough games over a span of two days, and in the heat, directly under the sun; so we undergo vigorous training to prepare ourselves for that. Netball is no easy sport; it can sometimes get very rough. I myself came back with black and blue marks after the matches. Elbows here and there can leave you bruised for a few days, but it’s all part of the game. Kristen Andrews played centre, and her fitness is great. She did a great job of feeding the ball to me on many occasions, from which I was able to score for the team. What is the team selection process like Choosing the team wasn’t easy at all. We had many girls try out but we could only settle for the best eleven. We are looking forward to a junior <strong>com</strong>petition in April and are hoping to promote them well. It’s important that children start young and are given the necessary support. We at Y would like to congratulate the Oman netball team for their ac<strong>com</strong>plishments thus far and wish them the very best for their future endeavours both on and off the court.
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