Saturday, March 19, 2011

Please Click on the Link Below to take you to our New Webpage









For all your netball news from Papua New Guinea
The above link takes you to our current address







Monday, September 13, 2010

WE HAVE MOVED

We have moved to


please use the above link to take you to our new site

thank you.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Near the Hoop has its own DOMAIN

Introducing Near the Hoop's new Website of the same name.

From this point on, all netball news and information, pictures and trivia will be posted to our new site.  It is a work in progress but it will have a few more features that will make it easier to handle and easier to remember.


Everything on this page will remain and if you wish to visit it you always can.


Please take the time to browse through our new site.

http://www.nearthehoop.com

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

New Site for Near the Hoop

Near the Hoop is moving to a webpage of the same name.

We hope you will all join us in the move and as the site becomes more prevalent, we hope that you can help us to develop the page into something all netballers can take ownership of.





Try it now and tell us what you think.





Images from last weekend have been uploaded to the new site


Images from this and the new sites will be linked for ease of navigation



Thursday, July 8, 2010

We've been missing some of the action, but here's something from Tabubil

Because i'm away at the moment we've been missing some of the netball action in Port Moresby, but don't fret because there is always netball news about.

Instead we've been ensconched in Tabubil, taking in the netball played there.  unfortunately we can't upload images to this page, but we have images from Tabubil on our other web page.



By the way if any of you have been looking for Maxine Siwi, well I found her decked out in blue, playing netball in Tabubil for the "Jets".  We can't post images to the gallery on this site at the moment but you can check out the above photo's and more on our new site.

We've also been working on our new webpage which I am sure you will enjoy better.

http://nearthehoop.webs.com


Please take a look and tell us what you think by clicking on either the address above or the link below

Near the Hoop's new web page

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Hello Everybody, we are still here.

Hello scapers,

Hello again and welcome back to our page - We're hidden away in Tabubil at the moment, breathing the clean air and enjoying the countryside.  Tabubil does have a thriving netball scene and we'll be bringing all of that to you shortly.

We are also trialing a new website format unders the same name and so when that is up and ready, we'll let you know.

Cheers

Near the Hoop

Monday, May 31, 2010

We are the Champions - BSP are PCNC Premier Division Champions

And that's the way it ended,

After a grueling day of PCNC Grand Finals which started at around 9:00 on Saturday morning, the main game was ready to be contested by two of the premier divisions powerhouse clubs, BSP and Brian Bell, it was BSP who were able once again take the podium and claim the big prize.


(above) "We've done it", Nina Vele and Madeliene Topelemu
embrace as the final hooter sounds.


They had watched a carnival of netball being played out before them and for many who had come through the divisions it was like the appetiser before the real thing, the prelude to the prize fight.  When it came time, all eye's were on the two tents perched on opposite ends of court 2, the unmistakable lime green of PNG's biggest bank and the trademark Coleman tent of Port Moresby's specialist retailer, Brian Bell.

This was the pinnacle of a season of real challenging moments and spectacular highlights, delays, controversy and magic.  The stories are so many that we'd have to create a special website for them, but in the end there was two left standing in each division, one of which would have the prestige of being this season's champions.

 

Brian Bell who were outright leaders two weeks prior to the round 1 break, fell from grace just as quickly as they got there and it was pretty much curtains for them half way through round 2, but the unpredictability of the the game saw other teams losing critical games at the most inopportune time and the result was a scraping through into fourth spot for the retailer's at the end of round 2.  Success in the next two games against very strong opposition in the likes of Fairdeal Liquor and Air Niugini shot them to a perch even they didn't expect to have, that of grand finalists in season 2009/2010.  This gave them the heart because they certainly had the skills and the personnel to take BSP.

BSP have been this seasons most consistent performer and their claim to a grand final spot was assured midway through round 2.  This does not mean they've had it all their way this year, far from it, they ascension have been off the back of hard fought wins.  Consistency has been the green machine's greatest allie and they have been fortunate enough to carry it through to another premiership victory.


Brian Bell came out firing on all cylinders and the eyebrows were raised at the 1st quarter break when the scores were locked up 9-9.  Brian Bell were making a statement with strong defense, lightning quick attack and great skills in midcourt.  BSP were in for a hell of a fight if they were to take this final and that's what they did.

Every passage of play in this grand final  was contested with the intensity expected at this level, the physical contest, the skills on display and the passion in each player's effort made this an excellent grand final to watch.  The sweat and grind, the shoving and positioning of players and the extraordinary athleticism on display made it all the more exceptional.

Unfortunately, there always has to be a winner and a loser in these events and for the Brian Bell ladies, that became evident midway through the final quarter as BSP's accuracy and stronger midcourt play started to make inroads into their defences.  BSP's Jacklyn Hape was exceptional on Saturday and with Renagi Dringo-Mulina directing traffic in the shooting circle, was able to really make their presence felt.


Betty Kila playing keeper for most of the match and Cecilia Agelavu as GD were tireless in their defence of the BSP hoop always putting pressure on Brian Bells star shooter, Lina Raka and attack Lale Ula.   Caroline Genaia played her heart out defending the hoop for Brian Bell using all her experience to upstage the BSP attack but a lack of communication with her keeper allowed the BSP attack to sneak through on many sorties and undoing her hard work.



As the song goes "I've paid my dues, time after time ........For we are the Champions my friend, and we'll keep on fighting till the end, we are the champions, we are the champions, no place for losers for we are the champions ....... of the world"

(above) Members of team BSP pose for a picture
BSP are the PCNC Premier division champions for 2009/2010



And indeed they are, well done BSP on a fine display of hard work, teamwork, sportsmanship and grace.  Brian Bell were wonderful adversaries and gracious losers, enjoying a friendship off the courts as strong as the contest on it.


The final score 37 - 30 to BSP.  A great win to the green machine, a great win to the individuals and a great win to netball.

Stories for all the other divisions and images will be published shortly.