Last-second miss hands Jewels dramatic draw against Singapore
Netball
The Debmarine Desert Jewels remain confident that their mission to bring the cup home is more alive than ever.
Namibia’s Debmarine Desert Jewels survived a scare against Singapore’s Vandas yesterday after nearly losing their tied 49-49 match in the final seconds at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Netball Cup.The tense clash saw Singapore’s star player, Amandeep Kaur Chahal, under the post with only 15 seconds on the clock. But she missed the shot, which bounced off the rim and was snatched away by the Namibian side just as the final buzzer sounded to end the match.
Described as “similar to a final” by commentators Keneiloe Kgasi and Lily Saffron Coleman, the match saw fierce competition between the two unbeaten teams, ultimately producing the first draw of the inaugural tournament.
Known for their physicality, the Desert Jewels could neither contain nor intimidate the eventual quarter winners, the Vandas, who opened the scoring within the first seconds of the match.
The first quarter, which ended with the Jewels trailing 13-11, saw them start slowly, despite notable defensive interceptions by goal defence Grace Matyayi.
The Singapore side closed down space effectively, making it difficult for the Jewels to feed the ball into the shooting circle and attempt shots at goal. The Vandas had the upper hand early on, as Namibia played reactively instead of setting up structured plays.
Singapore proved more consistent and composed, frequently capitalising on Namibian errors.
Half-time score
The Jewels went into half-time with a narrow 25-24 lead, despite the Vandas showing stronger defensive play in the second quarter.
With impeccable attacking transitions, Singapore’s goal shooter (GS) Amandeep Kaur Chahal impressed with her accuracy, rarely missing when under the post.
However, Jewels captain Anna Kaspar responded with crucial goals to keep her team in the contest.
The third quarter saw the Jewels stretch their lead to 37-30.
It could have been a wider margin if Kaspar had converted a few more of her under-the-post opportunities.
Despite the missed chances, Kaspar’s experience shone through as she outscored Chahal in the quarter, maintaining the Jewels’ advantage and preventing the Vandas from overtaking them.
The final quarter was the most nail-biting, but the Namibian captain’s scoring prowess picked up again with fewer errors, helping the Jewels stay in the fight.
Kaspar came through when it mattered most, scoring the equalising goal with just 32 seconds remaining on the clock.
‘We will bring the cup home’
Giving her post-match thoughts to UAE Netball, Kaspar admitted that the intensity brought by the Singapore Vandas caught them off guard.
“It was not the result we expected [as the highest-ranked team at the tournament], but we’ll put it behind us and focus on the next job when we face Ireland on Thursday [at 11:00 a.m.],” she said.
Regarding today’s rest day, she said the draw was a crucial wake-up call and the team would not be going sightseeing.
“We are going to regroup and focus on how we can do better in our next match, because this result shook our minds,” she said.
She, however, assured fans that the Jewels are far from finished. “We are not backing down. Our mission to bring the cup home is more alive than ever.”
The Debmarine Desert Jewels have won all their games so far, beginning with a 41-33 win over Kenya on Sunday.
They then went on to dominate home side UAE Falcons with a decisive 69-48 score on Monday, where Jewels’ Elisia Hambongo punished the hosts with a final goal in the closing seconds.
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