McIntosh now working with Singapore team

SINGAPORE:Former Jamaica Netball Association technical director, Jill McIntosh, has taken over the reins as technical consultant to the Singapore netball team for the World Netball Championships (WNC), which begins here tomorrow.

McIntosh, who guided the Sunshine Girls' netball programme for six months, as they prepared for the World Champs, will be hoping to lead 16th-ranked Singapore into the Top 12 by the end of championships.

"Their aim is to try and break into the top 12. Unfortunately, due to their lack of size, they have struggled against the taller teams, but their aim is to try and win one of their round games and then go into the crossovers and end up in the top 12," revealed McIntosh, who is a WNC winning coach with her native team, Australia.

McIntosh added that she has had stints with in the past in the same capacity with Singapore, and she decided to take the job since she was going to be at the championships, and in the process help to develop their knowledge of the game.

"Singapore, unlike the Sunshine Girls, are not as tall and they are physically not as big," said McIntosh, who is regarded as one of the best lecturers of the game.

"They are a short race of people and so they play netball different from how the Sunshine Girls do, and so it is about keeping the ball and it about using their speed and agility, and we want to get them to be very disciplined in that aspect of the game," McIntosh said.

She added that they will also be banking on their home advantage to realise their dream of winning a few matches at the championships.

"Home advantage is always a good thing and they will have the crowd support, and they will need it, and Singapore is doing an excellent job in being hosts and everyone is loving it," McIntosh added.

Singapore are down to face Jamaica in their final group game of the competition on July 5.

- Robert Bailey