Fariha remains keen to contribute to national netball

KUALA LUMPUR: Senior national netball player Nur Fariha Abdul Razak has stressed that she is not considering retirement, despite concerns over age and previous injuries, and remains confident that she can contribute to the sport’s development.

The 31-year-old, who has played for more than a decade, said she aimed to continue contributing by sharing her experience and helping attract more people to netball at both the national and domestic level.

“Of course, I have thought about retiring, but I still feel I can contribute, not just to the national team but also to the sport’s development,” said Fariha.

“I will continue playing as long as I can contribute and give something back to the sport,” she said.

She said the local netball scene is showing strong progress, driven in part by rising spectator interest in this season’s Netball Super League (NSL).

Fariha said the environment seen in the league was a long-awaited development for players.

“From playing in empty venues with little coverage, we are now seeing stadiums filled with supporters, which is very encouraging,” she said.

She said world-class foreign players competing in the NSL have enhanced the quality of the league, while providing local players with valuable exposure.

“There used to be only one or two competitions a year, but now with a league like the NSL, children are starting to set their goals on playing professionally at this level,” she said.

On her immediate plans, Fariha confirmed she would join a centralised training camp next month as preparations continue for the Asian Championship in Hong Kong in August, which doubles as a World Cup qualifier. — Bernama