BAHRAIN'S netball squads have completed their preparations for this weekend's Riffa Views Inter-Gulf Netball Championships with a week-long training camp. England netball coaches visited the kingdom for a special training programme this week, which included intensive coaching sessions for the 60 participating players to fine tune their skills and better prepare them for the Gulf's biggest all-female sporting event, which takes place on Friday and Saturday at the Bahrain Rugby Football Club in Saar.
Gilly Salter, Sue Wainwright, and Liz Banyard were the top England Netball Coaches to facilitate the practices. They made their third visit this season as part of their ongoing plan to bring the Bahrain Premier Team back into the 'Elite Top Four', which has been dominated by Dubai and Abu Dhabi over the last five championships.
"I am very impressed with the level of commitment and dedication of the players," said Coach Slater.
"The injection and promotion of youth, combined with experienced players in each of the squads, demonstrates how well the Bahrain teams are progressing. This gives credit to the development work Bahrain is fostering at the grassroots level.
"The teams are focussed, fit and a force to be reckoned with. With the squads' increasing confidence, Bahrain will certainly be a frontrunner for the championships' title."
Riffa Views chief executive Richard Browning commented: "Through our sponsorship, we encouraged Bahrain's netball squads to commit to a programme based on conditioning work and strength. The international coaches provided the best training to the Bahrain teams, and we are looking forward to a successful weekend for them."
This year's championships feature 26 teams - making it the biggest tournament in the event's 23-year history.
The returning Gulf teams from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Al Ain, Kuwait, and Qatar will be joined by an invitational team from England who will compete against the top eight ranked Gulf teams in a separate division of the tournament.
Ten 'Talent and Youth' Umpires from England Netball will travel to Bahrain, courtesy of Qatar Airways, to referee the majority of matches.
Standard
"We are raising the standard of the tournament this year with the inclusion of these umpires," said event manager Michaela Milne.
"We expect a very high standard of play between the top teams, and it is crucial that these matches are umpired at the highest level. I am confident everyone will appreciate what will certainly be an enormous contribution to the tournament."
Bahrain is entering five ladies' teams into the competition and will be joined once again by last year's men's division winners, the Bahrain Men's Team.
Matches in the championships take place between 9.30am and 5pm on Friday and between 9.30am and 3pm on Saturday.
For more information, contact Milne on 36600308 or visit intergulfnetball.com.
