Kit home-made, but they thrashed the hosts

Singapore's netball team finished fifth in the Nations Cup tournament they hosted recently, but their generosity in helping debutantes Tanzania with flights, accommodation and kit was of Olympic proportions.

Olympic status remains the Holy Grail for netball, a sport which struggles to banish its school playground image. The amateur aspect has a good side, though, as Tanzania found out when they were invited as late replacements to the Nations Cup, a six-team invitational tournament, after the Cook Islands withdrew three weeks before the start.

Arriving a day early, and bringing kit they had made themselves, the unranked Tanzanian team played the hosts, Malaysia, Canada, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Singapore helped out with costs and equipment but their generosity backfired when Tanzania beat them 41-33 en route to finishing fourth behind winners Northern Ireland.

"Singapore contributed on air tickets and all the teams' accommodation was provided so we are very grateful to Singapore for their support," said Joel Mwakitalu, Tanzanian Netball co-ordinator.

"Our kits were homemade – we tailored them ourselves – but we managed to buy kits here to make us look more international.

"Singapore netball has given us a number of balls, medical kits and Nations Cup T-shirts.

"When people see Singapore and Scotland on the T-shirts we are very sure that the number of girls interested in playing netball (in Tanzania) will grow," Mr Mwakitalu said. Reuters

- Reuters