Gateway netballers shine on international tour to Brunei
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Gateway Reds
The Gateway Reds took on three strong Brunei National Schools teams during the series, gaining valuable experience. In the first game Gateway Reds experienced a loss by 10-19, against Bumble Bees, a side stacked with Under-21 Brunei national pool players. However, Gateway Reds regrouped to defeat Mad Divas, a seasoned club team, with a score of 17-12 in their second outing. Gateway Reds continued their form by recording an emphatic victory over Mason Secondary School by 22-6 in the third game.
Gateway Blues
The Gateway Blues faced off against the Brunei School Squad, preparing for the Asian Schools’ Games in three tightly contested encounters. The tourists recorded thrilling 22-19 win in the first outing, and experienced a retaliation from the hosting side in the second game, who scraped through to record an equally thrilling win by 23-26. Gateway Blues, with their ‘never-say-die’ attitude recorded a tremendous comeback to comprehensively beat Brunei Schools by 17-12 in the third and final outing.
The initiative was made possible through the efforts of Thilaka Jinadasa, former Team Leader of Sports Development at Gateway College, who now works in the capacity of the Head Coach for the Brunei National Netball team. After visiting Gateway with the Brunei National Team, she coordinated with the Brunei Ministry of Education and Brunei Netball Association to organise this unique opportunity. The matches were even used as a model run for the upcoming International Asian Schools’ Netball Tournament, reflecting the significance of Gateway’s involvement.
Gateway students also experienced playing matches with four full quarters for the very first time, an invaluable step in their sporting development. The Brunei Netball Association provided accommodation at the official Games Village, ensuring the players enjoyed the full atmosphere of an international tournament.