An enthusiastic group of our talented netballers in Year 9 and above headed for Dubai over Long Leave keen to experience the challenge of facing opposition in sunny climes.
With a week to enjoy their sporting preparations the girls managed to fit in plenty of sightseeing around their training regime and highlights featured the Dubai 7s stadium and the Sky Lounge as well as the Burj Khalifa. At 828m tall this is the highest any Leighton Park sports tour has been outside of the aeroplane!
The rigorous beach netball and the joy of poolside lounging clearly paid off as the girls were all set for their first matches in Abu Dhabi, playing Capital Netball Academy at the Zayad Cricket Stadium, only the day after landing!
The tournament at the Dubai 7s stadium later in the week was an excellent experience with the Senior team winning two out of three matches against Silcoates from Yorkshire and the Hurricanes, and with the Junior squad coming in very close with some great play.
Fitting in the Dubai Mall and the Emirates Shopping Mall – who expected an aquarium and an indoor ski slope inside?! – and the 17 stage strong mall challenge was hard work, but the girls came through in style!
The tour finished on a fantastic high with two wins from the Seniors (33-10) and Junior (22-18) netball teams against Exiles Netball Club. The girls celebrated with a 4×4 foray into the desert and discovered a BBQ and belly dancing show alongside plenty of sand dunes!
Reflecting on the week, Deputy Head, Eddie Falshaw, commented, “This has been a memorable tour for so many reasons. The girls have done us all proud – their school, each other, families and country. They have taken everything in their stride and entered into the spirit of what a tour is all about – I think we have all learnt something along the way. On the court they played hard and played to win, but always in the right spirit. Off the court they have sung their hearts out, laughed a lot, looked after each other and embraced everything along the way and more.”
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