Helping Singapore's mission

The mission: to defend their Asian title this year and to win the gold at the South-east Asia Games next year on home soil.

Last Sunday, Netball Singapore's (NS) cause was given a timely boost when they confirmed a $200,000 sponsorship from Misson Foods at the Misson Foods Beach Netball Festival at Sentosa's Siloso Beach.

The amount is more than twice the company's support last year, and will go towards the naming rights of the beach netball festival and the Asian Netball Championships from Sept 7 to 14 at the Singapore Sports Hub.

The sponsorship money will also be channelled towards the year-end Nations Cup and supporting the national squads.

POSITIVE

NS chief executive officer Cyrus Medora said: "It's fantastic that they have come in - they have a lot of ideas and push us to improve and do more. It's positive because it brings the sport up."

It is believed that at least half of the sponsorship amount will go to the running of the Asian Championships, which will cost about $500,000 to organise.

Medora said: "We still need a few more sponsors but we can manage it; we do have sponsors who help us out and we will squeeze our costs from other areas."

More than 50 teams took part in the beach netball festival last Sunday - Sparta won the women's open, while Frenz continued their five-year unbeaten run by winning the corporate/mixed category.

Also, X topped the Under-23 competition.

Each winning team walked away with $1,000 in cash and a Misson Foods and Banana Boat hamper.

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