Asian Netball Championships: Hong Kong captain praises team’s spirit after side finishes fourth; Sri Lanka defend title
- Gessy Li says she is ‘proud of my team’ after 54-42 third-place play-off loss to Malaysia
- In the final, defending champions Sri Lanka successfully retain their title with a 63-53 win over Singapore
Hong Kong finished fourth at the Asian Netball Championships on Sunday after losing their third-place play-off 54-42 to Malaysia.
Sri Lanka successfully defended their title meanwhile, beating Singapore in a thrilling final, as both teams booked their spots at next year’s World Cup in Cape Town.
In the battle for bronze, Malaysia took the early lead, though their opponents were always close behind.
With the half-time score at 27-30, Hong Kong put on a gutsy performance to level the score to 35-35 in the third quarter. But Malaysia made a timely intercept while up 37-36 to extend their lead to 38-36 and, momentum shifted in their favour after a missed pass from Hong Kong.
There was no looking back for the 2019 SEA Games champions as they consolidated their lead to finish in third place.
Hong Kong captain Gessy Li praised her team’s spirit and said she was proud of their performance.
“We gave our all for the game, Malaysia played a great game and we did all we could, for all quarters,” she said. “It was a good fight. I’m proud of my team, I have no regrets.”
In the final, Sri Lanka survived a scare and a gritty performance by Singapore to win their sixth title at the OCBC Arena.