Kenya's Divas to feature in UAE Netball Cup

The tournament, which has attracted six nations ranked between 18th and 30th globally, including the UAE, USA, Republic of Ireland, Singapore, Kenya, and Namibia, will serve as a crucial build-up to the Commonwealth Games qualifiers.

Speaking ahead of the trip, head coach Evalyn Cherono, who also doubles up as the Kenya Prisons women's netball team, beamed with confidence in the team’s readiness.

“We are ready to battle it out. The girls have been training hard, and we believe this tournament will give us the competitive edge we need before the qualifiers and also improve on our overall ranking, hoping to improve from our current ranking of position 25 to at least 18,” she said.

Cherono however is wary of the threat posed by their opponents, saying lack of proper training facilities is their biggest undoing.

“It would be a dream come true to have our wooden court training ground. Right now, we rely on the Ulinzi indoor arena, which is not always available,” she added.

Assistant captain Hellen Sinoya, on the other hand, shared her optimism as well in readiness for the qualifiers.

“As you can see, our fitness standards are high, and now we just need to work on the tactical aspect. We urge all Kenyans to support us and cheer us on as we represent the country,” she said.

The team is set to depart the country on June 13 for the week-long event.

The Divas are also set for more competitions in Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Trinidad and Tobago, as part of their preparations for the Commonwealth Games qualifiers.