Kenya’s senior women’s netball team, the Divas, put up a spirited fight in their opening match of the inaugural UAE Netball Cup but succumbed to a 41–33 defeat against a well-organized Namibia side on Sunday at the Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan Indoor Stadium in Dubai.
The match got off to a tough start for Kenya, who fell behind 7–0 within the first five minutes. Head coach Ali Mugisha made an early tactical switch, substituting Delilah Akinyi for Doreen Akinyi at goal shooter. The move sparked some attacking momentum, though Namibia narrowly took the first quarter 11–8.
Kenya struggled with handling errors and missed passes in the early stages, but their defensive discipline improved as the game progressed. At halftime, the Divas trailed 21–13 and later closed the gap in the second half. However, Namibia’s experience and clinical execution saw them stretch the lead to 33–22 at the end of the third quarter before sealing the win.
Hellen Subira was Kenya’s standout player, recording a flawless 22 goals from 22 attempts. Doreen Akinyi also impressed, netting 11 of her 14 attempts for a 79% shooting accuracy.
“We started a bit slow, and our goal shooter was nervous at the beginning, but the team grew into the game,” said coach Mugisha. “Our defense was solid in the later quarters. There are just a few things we need to fix before facing Singapore.”
Team captain Parin Simiyu echoed the sentiment, adding, “We’ll work on our endurance and consistency. We’re confident of getting a better result against Singapore.”
The UAE Netball Cup runs from June 15 to 21 in a round-robin format. Kenya, currently ranked 25th globally as of June 1, will also face hosts UAE, Ireland, and the United States in their bid to climb the international rankings.
Written By Rodney Mbua
