Gibraltar Netball starts its final countdown for World Cup

Gibraltar Netball has announced its captains for the forthcoming Netball World Youth Cup squad, with Emma Torres leading the way as Captain.
Lorena Davidson and Natasha Mena will serve as her Vice-Captains.
Gibraltar will take to the court on Saturday morning in their debut at the Youth World Cup finals as they face the Cook Islands.
Hosted in Gibraltar, the Netball World Youth Cup is among the biggest international team events ever to be staged locally. Twenty nations will bring their Under-21 squads to Gibraltar over the next three weeks as they compete for the title.
The event, which will be streamed live, will take place at both the Tercentenary Sports Hall and the Europa Sports Complex. Final preparations have been underway for the past two weeks, with GSLA staff working around the clock to ensure facilities are ready for Friday’s opening ceremony.
From removing old line markings and re-doing official lines, to laying specially supplied flooring for the international event, and installing banners, signs, and even curtains for the opening ceremony, both venues have received upgrades that should place Gibraltar in good stead as hosts of international competitions of this calibre.
The Netball World Youth Cup is not only a unique opportunity for Gibraltar to shine in the sport; it also marks the long-awaited return of the Under-21s to the global stage after delays caused by the pandemic. Gibraltar is the first nation to host such an event for the Under-21s since before COVID-19.
Security assessments have already been conducted by local authorities in collaboration with the organising committee. With teams from across the globe—including Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa—the prestigious event offers Gibraltar the chance to showcase its ability to host major competitions as it continues to develop sport as another pillar of its economy.
Thanks to the boost in facilities delivered for the 2019 Island Games, Gibraltar is now able to host events of this scale. The availability of two international-standard sports halls provides the necessary capacity for the later stages of the tournament, where matches must be played simultaneously for qualification purposes.
The Gibraltar squad, which has also unveiled new kits celebrating Gibraltar’s unique heritage, now enters its final four days of preparation before stepping onto centre court for their World Cup debut.