The Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) netball squad has been beefed up with seven rookies recently.
They are Nur Inani Rosli, Nur Adrinah Adnan, Nurfatin Kamila Zainal Abidin, Alia Najwa Shahirah Sharifuddin, Nur Bahiyah Mohd Farik and Yeoh Pek Xian.
Except for Yeoh and Nur, who are Form One students, the other five are all in Form Two.
New faces: The seven new recruits in the BJSS netball squad.BJSS netball coach Choo Kon Lee said the seven players were selected based on their performance in age group competitions last year.
The competitions were the Milo-Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM) championships and the National Youth and National Open championships.
“Firstly, we looked at the players’ physique and their basic skills. Some of them may not have the skills but have the physique and we take them in to coach them. If they can adapt to the training programme, we are confident they can be groomed into accomplished players.
“They should have the right attitude and be prepared to go through the mill to master the tactics and techniques involved in netball,’’ said Choo.
Easy peasy: A player balancing a ball on her head, probably just for the fun of it.With the new recruits, the BJSS netball squad has 23 players — four in Form Five, five in Form Four and seven in Form Three.
The squad trains six days a week. In the mornings, the focus is on fitness and endurance. The players also attend workouts in the gym twice a week. In the afternoons, it is on the courts for the players.
Choo said they had drawn up their training programme for the year and the players would have ample opportunities to gain exposure in local and international competitions.
The players will return to their respective states for the MSSM, National Youth and Malaysian Open championships.
The BJSS are also scheduled to play in a competition in Australia in July.
Last year, the BJSS went for a competition in Singapore involving the sports schools from the republic, New Zealand and Australia.
Two players — Norashikin Kamal Zaman and Izyan Syazana Mohd Wasir — were in the Malaysian gold medal winning team in the Asian Youth championships in Hong Kong.
Besides Norashikin and Izyan Syazana, five players from the BJSS have been selected to attend the national squad’s first phase training programme. The national squad is preparing for the World Under-21 championships in the Cook Islands.
You can do it, girls: Coach Choo (left) giving a pep talk to the players before a training session.The five are Nur Sharmila Md Samsudin, Nurul Husna Akbal Amad, Nurul Adha Abu Bakar, Nur Syafazliyana Mohd Ali and Noramirah Dayana Noor Azhar.
Choo said some of the players had bright chances of making it to the national squad.
“Our mission is to groom them for the national junior and senior squads,’’ added Choo.
The players:
Fatin Athirah Md Yusof, Nur Shamillia Md Samsudin, Nurul Husna Akbal Amad, Nur Shafiqah Mohd Zahurin, Izyan Shafiqah Mohd Wazir, Yang Farha Farhana Fadzarahman, Burul Adha Abu Bakar, Nur Syafazliyana Mohd Ali, S. Sathiesswari, Nur Syazwani Ibzan Ibrahim, Nur Sahira Muhd Khir, Norashikin Kamal Zaman, Noramirah Dayana Noor Azhar, Nur Athirah Amizan, S. Shandraleka, Norfarahana Nawi, Nur Inani Rosli, Nur Adrinah Adnan, Nurfatin Kamila Zainal Abidin, Alia Najwa Shahirah Sharifuddin, Nur Bahiyah Mohd Farik, Yeoh Pek Xian.
