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The 2014 Bahrain Inter-Gulf Netball Championships will kick-off on Friday morning at the Bahrain Rugby Club with a full day of top-level matches between the Gulf’s best players, writes Stan Szecowka.
The two-day tournament features 24 teams from around the Gulf together with six of Bahrain’s finest who will play over 200 matches over the course of the event. The championship is the only international platform for netball in the Middle East and visiting teams will be from Dubai, Al Ain, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Fujairah.
Kate Elsworth, chair of Bahrain Netball, said: “I am extremely excited that the tournament will be held in Bahrain this year; we have a great team working on organising the event and we know it is going to be successful and enormous fun.
“We are delighted to have support from local industry and commerce and we thank Alba for their support of our youth section, and BFC and DHL for their support of the main squads. Furthermore, we will be supported during the event by the Bahrain Rugby Club, African & Eastern, BMMI, Alosra and Aquacool.”
All visiting teams will be staying at the Elite Seef Residence and Hotel where, together with the Bahrain teams, they will also enjoy a gala dinner to celebrate the event.
Competing teams will be divided into pools on the first day to establish rankings. There will be a final pool play during the first half of the second day and the top four from each pool will go into the semi-finals for either the Championship Cup, Plate or Bowl.
Umpires for the tournament are being sponsored by Netball South West from the United Kingdom and led by Barbara Warburton who is a top flight England Netball umpire.
The Bahrain teams will be coached by England coaches Gilly Salter and Sue Wainwright over the tournament weekend. These coaches, together with Katie Noonan from England, prepared the Bahrain teams during February in an exhausting five-day ‘Boot Camp’ to enhance the skills of Bahrain’s netball players.
Tournament manager Helen Edwards added: “This will be the biggest Inter-Gulf event in its 28-year history.
“We have over 350 players, umpires and coaches arriving from around the Gulf and England. As organisers, we want to put on the best possible show for both our players and for the local community. Spectator stands have been erected at the back of the netball courts, and so we welcome the community to come and give their support.”
The tournament will run on Friday from 9am to 5pm and on Saturday from 8.45am to 3pm. Following the Championship Final, there will be local band Diraz Diraz playing together with a BBQ for players and spectators alike.
When Bahrain last hosted the Inter-Gulf Championships English side Hucclecote took up the offer to participate, sending an invitational squad, along with coaches and umpires.
Amongst the team travelling from Gloucestershire was Carly Taylor, 22, a highly-rated England development player. Two years later, following a freak accident in which she broke three vertebrae, Carly was paralysed from the neck down.
Carly’s subsequent battle is a story of courage and inspiration. With the selfless support of her family and her boyfriend Nielson ‘Nelly’ Webber, Carly is making slow but determined progress. Facing astronomical rehab bills, friends and family driving the Carly Taylor Fighting Back Trust have worked tirelessly to help her recovery.
Those familiar with the UK television show Surprise, Surprise might have seen Carly say an emotional ‘thank you’ to Nelly. On the show Carly was given a special bike that sends electrical signals to make her muscles work. And rugby-mad Nelly received a personal video message from his hero, Jonny Wilkinson, who also donated match tickets, a rugby ball and his own rugby boots. As a result of their appearance on the show, Carly and Nelly have been funded to visit a specialist treatment centre in Miami.
And back in Bahrain the netball fraternity, thanks to their Hucclecote affiliation, will be using the Inter-Gulf Championship as a fund-raiser for Carly. You can find details about Carly by visiting carlytaylorfightingback.co.uk
For more information on this weekend’s event, contact Helen Edwards on 36061009.
