Kenya Divas fight gallantly, but not enough against well-drilled Namibia

Kenya senior women’s netball team, the Divas, showed grit and determination in their opening match of the inaugural UAE Netball Cup, but ultimately fell 41–33 to a high-ranked Namibia side on Sunday in Dubai.

Led by Captain Parin Simiyu, the Divas had a shaky start, trailing 7–0 within the first five minutes. Head coach Ali Mugisha responded by making an early substitution, bringing on Doreen Akinyi for Delilah Akinyi at goal shooter. The change gave Kenya fresh momentum, though Namibia edged the first quarter 11–8.

Despite some handling errors and missed passes early on, the Kenyan side kept Namibia’s Debmarine Desert Jewels in check, going into halftime at 21–13. Kenya remained competitive, closing the gap in the second half but still trailed 33–22 at the end of the third quarter before Namibia sealed the win.

Hellen Subira was the standout performer for the Divas, delivering a perfect shooting display, scoring 22 out of 22 attempts. Teammate Doreen Akinyi also impressed with 11 goals from 14 attempts, finishing with a 79% shooting success rate.

“We started a bit slow; our goal shooter started with a little bit of nerves, but they grew into the game,” said coach Mugisha. “We defended very well moving into the 3rd and 4th quarter, and there are just a few things to correct before our next game against Singapore.”

Captain Simiyu echoed the optimism, adding, “We’ll work on our endurance and stay consistent. We are confident of a better result in our next match against Singapore.”

The UAE Netball Cup is running from June 15 to 21, and being played in a round-robin format at the Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan Indoor Stadium in Dubai. Kenya will face Singapore, the UAE, Ireland, and the United States in their quest for the title and improve their overall ranking, which currently stands at 25th as of June 1st this Year.