The Philippine netball team hopes to pick up from where it left off as it eyes a modest finish in its next major international campaign next year.
Siklab Pilipinas is looking to repeat its modest finish in the just concluded Asian Netball Championships as it vies in the 2023 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Thailand.
The Filipinas bagged a plate title in the Asian meet after a sweep of Maldives (59-41) and Brunei (40-37) in Group F during the second round of the competitions held at the OCBC Arena in Singapore. Earlier, they split their games against India (45-41) and Sri Lanka (99-37), relegating them in the group plate.
They later repeated against Brunei in the playoffs (42-38) to finish fifth place overall, a marked improvement since a ninth place finish during the 2018 edition of the tournament.
Sri Lanka beat host Singapore for the title, 63-53.
Their morale and confidence boosted, members of the Siklab team are looking to do well in the AIMAG considering the one-year preparation it will have prior to the Nov. 17-26 meet.
“Ang gagawin naming preparation is to improve what we achieved in the Asian netball. I-improve pa rin namin yung laro namin,” said coach Piao Fedillaga at the online Philippine Sportswriters Association a day after arriving from Singapore.
Team captain Ken Lomogda seconded her coach.
“Kakayanin namin. Ta-trabahuhin ulit namin,” she added in the session presented by San Miguel Corporation, MILO, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Amelie Hotel Manila, and Philippine Amusement Gaming Corporation, where Lomogda was also joined by former Perlas Pilipinas player Vangie Soriano.
Siklab will face the same cast of teams in the AIMAG as the top eight finishers in the Asian netball earned a slot in the quadrennial showpiece originally set last March, but was deferred for next year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aside from the Philippines, Singapore, and Sri Lanka, other countries competing are Malaysia, Hong Kong, Brunei, Maldives, and India.
Soriano said with netball not to be played in the 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia, Siklab will have its focus on preparing and training for the AIMAG.
Overseas training is on the pipeline, according to Fedillaga, with Singapore as the team’s likely destination.
“Singapore ang talagang tumutulong sa amin sa netball. Kailangan naming maghanap ng club teams to help us out, and kailangan kasi namin ng tune-up games, catch-up games. ‘Yun kasi ang wala tayo dito sa Pilipinas,” added the netball coach, who thanked the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Netball Federation under president Atty. Charlie Ho, and the local government of Sta. Rosa, Laguna for all the help it extended to Siklap prior to their Asian campaign.