NAIROBI, Kenya, June 18, 2025 – National women’s netball team captain Hellen Sinoya has warned that they remain unwavering in their bid to qualify for the final of the UAE Netball Cup.
Sinoya says the team are getting better with every game and will morph into one of the toughest to beat in the round-robin tournament.
“We are making fewer mistakes and that is what is making all the difference. Every match has been a learning curve for us and we remain confident of making the final because we are getting better with every game,” she said.
The Divas earned their first win of the tournament with a 66–25 thrashing of the United States at the Al Nasr Club in Dubai on Tuesday evening.
It was a much more improved performance from Mugisha Ali’s side who had narrowly lost 41-33 to top-ranked Namibia on Sunday before going down 42-40 to Singapore, the next day.
The attacking duo of Delilah Akinyi and Sinoya were simply too much to handle for the Americans, racing into a 17-3 lead in the first quarter.
Akinyi’s injury at the start of the second quarter was a mere blip in a dominant performance.
Her replacement, Lucy Akumu, deputised ably as Kenya extended their lead to 34-9 at halftime.
The penultimate quarter saw the lead grow to 54-17 before rounding up a good day in the office with a final 66-25 scoreline.
Having lost two players to injury, the coach waxed lyrical about the team’s mental strength.
“We were mentally strong and kept up the momentum even after losing two players to injury. Our defensive actions have also improved and with this, we can look forward to making the finals. That remains our target,” Ali said.
The Divas have matches against the hosts as well as the Republic of Ireland.
A win in both ties could guarantee a spot in the final, so long as UAE also beats Singapore.
