The Baby Pearls under-21 Netball team encountered significant challenges at the World Youth Cup Oceania Qualifier in the Cook Islands, suffering defeats in their first two matches. They began their tournament with a loss to Samoa, finishing the game with a score of 32-51, followed by a second defeat against Toga Tala, where they ended up with a score of 40-64.
Vivian Koster, the chief executive officer of Netball Fiji, highlighted that the primary aim of participating in these qualifiers was to provide the team with valuable playing time and experience. With the Baby Pearls already qualified for the 2025 World Youth Cup, these qualifiers are seen as a crucial opportunity to prepare and evaluate their performance against formidable opponents.
Koster noted that there are important lessons to be gained from these losses and expressed hope for the team’s performance in their future matches. “At the end of the day, we’re happy that they’ve got their first game down. We acknowledge that there are lessons to be learned, and we are looking forward to what they’ll do in their match today and the remainder of their matches,” she stated.
The Baby Pearls are intent on utilizing the remaining games in the tournament to refine their skills and gain international experience, aiming to improve their overall performance on the global stage.