UAE Falcons ready for European Open Challenge netball title defence

The UAE Netball team, the Falcons, will look to continue their upward trajectory when they begin their European Open Challenge title defenceat Isle of Man on Thursday.

The 12-strong squad will compete in two competitions simultaneously; the European Open Challenge as well as an invitational event.

The Falcons are drawn alongside Malta, Israel and the Republic of Ireland in Group B, while Group A consists of Isle of Man, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar and Switzerland in the four-day event.

The Falcons travel after extensive preparation following their win last November, having put in an impressive performance against an Abu Dhabi All Stars team last month in the build-up for this weekend.

“It’s always hard to defend a title due to the unknowns about new teams entering the competition,” Falcons head coach Deb Jones told The National ahead of their tournament openers against Malta and Israel.

“The determination of the opposition to take your crown, the pressure players place on themselves to perform both as individuals and as a team, as well as expectations from the wider netball community, all matter.

“The opposing teams will have also done their homework on the video footage of our previous games and will want to come out to close down the strengths of our play.”

The Falcons, white, and Abu Dhabi All Stars in a warm-up match at Dubai College on May 1, 2022. Photo: UAE Netball

Of notable interest is Cayman Islands, who are ranked 26 and should provide a good challenge to the 25th-ranked Falcons.

“Defending a title always adds extra pressure, but we have turned that into a positive force and it has been a real focus point for us as a squad,” Carley Lewis, the Falcons captain and ex-Wales international, said.

“I definitely think