Netball Fiji has welcomed the deferment of the Netball World Youth Cup because of the coronavirus outbreak and is instead focusing on the positives.
NF president Ruby Ann Sorovaki said the new Fiji Pearls coach would be appointed well before the team was selected.
“It gives us an opportunity to allow our new coach to come in and have a look at the national training squad,” she said.
“It just means that we have more time to focus on the groundwork of putting a formidable team together.”
The change in the dates for the tournament will offer the management of Netball Fiji adequate time to assemble a strong Baby Pearls outfit.
“With the tournament rescheduled to next year it will enable us to put the best team together and to further hunt those talented netballers who have missed the cut over the last few months.
“The extra time means we can add to the pool of already talented athletes currently in the program to give selectors an opportunity to see the best netballers.
“This will give Fiji an opportunity to watch good netball on the courts displayed by those chosen to represent the country.”
It is envisaged that 30 netballers will be selected by the end of the month. The championship was scheduled to take place in June next year and was postponed in July over COVID-19 concerns.
The new dates for the quadrennial youth tournament are slated for December 1-19 next year and will be held in Suva.
The Baby Pearls finished fourth in the 20-team competition after losing to England U21 35-70 in the third and fourth place play-off. New Zealand is the defending champion of the U21 event after outplaying Trans-Tasman rivals Australia 60-57 at Gaborone, Botswana.
