ENGLISH netball team Hucclecote arrived in Bahrain yesterday morning.
They will be taking part in the Riffa Views Inter-Gulf Netball Championships, which will be held tomorrow and Saturday at Bahrain Rugby Football Club (BRFC) in Saar.
The visiting squad are from Hucclecote Netball Club in Gloucestershire. They are composed of several under-19 and under-21 England national team players.
They are competing in the Inter-Gulf competition for the second straight year, although only two players from last year's team are returning for the event.
Hucclecote will be going up against some of the Gulf's top teams in the Championships' Invitational Cup. They will be hoping to maintain their undefeated record from the tournament's 2008 edition, which was also held in the kingdom.
"We are really excited to be in Bahrain and we can't wait to compete against the top Gulf teams," said Hucclecote team captain Jane Hicks.
"It will be an interesting challenge for us to play outdoors and to cope with the heat. We have trained hard for this tournament and look forward to the opportunity to defend our title as Invitational Cup winners," she said.
A record 26 teams are set to participate this year - 21 of them ladies' teams from Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Qatar, Kuwait, and hosts Bahrain.
Apart from those set to compete against Hucclecote in the Invitational Cup, the teams will be playing for the Cup, Plate and Bowl titles.
Four men's teams will also be competing. They will play in their own division. Bahrain will have five ladies' teams and one men's team this year.
Bahrain's Premier Team (Bahrain 'A') have been training as a unit since September. Leading England Netball coaches Gilly Salter, Sue Wainwright, and Liz Banyard have facilitated their practices leading up to the regional clash, in order to help them maximise their chances of breaking into the tournament's elite 'top four'.
Meanwhile, 10 'Talent and Youth' Umpires from England Netball touched down in Bahrain late last night. They have been brought in, courtesy of Qatar Airways, to referee the majority of matches, which helps raise the standard of the Championships.
Over 150 matches will be played at the BRFC netball courts over the two days of play. The games are set to take place between 9.30am and 5pm tomorrow, and between 9.30am and 3pm on Saturday. Tonight, tournament organisers are hosting a reception for the visiting teams at the Diplomat Radisson SAS Hotel.
For more information on the upcoming activities, call event manager Michaela Milne on 36600308 or visit intergulfnetball.com.
