All systems go for the start of the Mission Foods World Netball Championships 2011 Singapore

With only a few days until the first whistle marks the start of the Mission Foods World Netball Championships 2011 Singapore, the Republic is ready for the rest of the world to join in the celebrations of the 13th edition of the Championships.

Representatives from the 16 participating countries were welcomed today at the Mission Foods World Netball Championships Press Conference, three days before the action kicks off at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Molly Rhone, President of the International Federation Netball Associations (IFNA) and Jessica Tan, Chairperson of the Local Organising Committee for the Mission Foods World Netball Championships, were pleased to discuss their expectations for a fantastic tournament.

Tan said, “The Local Organising Committee would like to welcome all teams to the Mission Foods World Netball Championships here in Singapore. We are incredibly excited to be hosting the prestigious tournament and look forward to seeing the talent on court from the 16 participating countries. Preparations for the event have gone smoothly due to the generous support from the corporate world, particularly from title sponsor, Mission Foods, and great support from the Singapore Tourism Board, M1, Energizer, Fairprice Foundation, Huttons Real estate and many others. With the strong support we have received from the netball community – IFNA, Netball New Zealand and Netball Australia – and locally from the Singapore Sports Council and the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, we hope to deliver a World Netball Championship to remember!”

With 16 of the world’s top teams competing for the esteemed title, fans in Singapore and across the rest of the world are sure to witness a great display of skill and athleticism over the eight days of competition, from 3 to 10 July 2011

Defending champion and current World number two, Australia, will be looking to retain the title they won in New Zealand in 2007. They will have a hard battle against current World number one team, New Zealand, as well as teams from England and Jamaica, who are looking to win the trophy for the first time.

Rhone commented, “With such a depth of talent set to take the court over eight days, netball fans from around the world are in for a real treat. We are pleased to be playing the Championships here in Singapore this year, and with the standard of netball as ever on the rise, it promises to be a sensational event.”

Singapore has been planning the World Netball Championships for the past four years. Featuring teams from the world’s top nations across five continents, this international event is another milestone for Singapore in their hosting pedigree.

On top of the existing coverage of the Missions Foods World Netball Championships on ESPN Star Sports, a further telecast development has also been announced.

Following collaboration between Netball Singapore, the Singapore Sports Council and MediaCorp, netball fans will also be able to catch some of the action from the Singapore Indoor Stadium live and delayed on MediaCorp Channel 5 (detailed timings below). Singaporesports.sg will also be streaming matches on their website.

The Mission Foods World Netball Championships 2011 Singapore will be held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium from 3 to 10 July 2011. Daily tickets for the tournament are still available through SISTIC at www.sistic.com.sg and at all SISTIC counters.