|
Abu Dhabi: Teams from Dubai reigned supreme while defending champions and hosts Abu Dhabi had to be content with the fourth place in the two-day Qatar Airways Inter-Gulf Netball Championship which concluded at the Abu Dhabi International Tennis Stadium yesterday.
A total of 19 teams battled it out in a league-cum-knockout format. Dubai A defeated Dubai B 22-10 in the final yesterday.
Doha A got the better of Abu Dhabi to finish third while Dubai C won the Plate final, defeating Dhahran.
Hub of activity
The two-day event converted the tennis stadium in the capital into a hub of activity with a large number of spectators watching teams from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Al Ain, Doha, Kuwait and Dhahran battling it out for the top honours.
Debbie Greaves from the visiting Doha team was named Player of the Tournament, while Nigel Milne from Bahrain got a special award for his umpiring skills.
In the men's tournament, Dubai defeated Al Ain in a final which had the whole crowd enthused, a press release from the organisers said.
Jeremy Bruer, Australian Ambassador to the UAE, and Mmutlane Makena, Charge d'Affaires at the South African Embassy attended the finals and distributed the prizes.
Next stop Bahrain
The event was sponsored by Qatar Airways and Al Salama Hospital and was held in Abu Dhabi for the second consecutive year. The annual event will now go to Bahrain in 2008.
"The international umpires, flown in by Qatar Airways, have been highly impressed by the quality of play. Each year they are noticing an improvement in the quality of play while the event's profile is also growing in the region. We will be seeing some new teams in the fray in the Bahrain edition," said the Inter-Gulf event manager, Brigitta Norton.
|
