Written By : VUNIWAQA BOLA. Northland Netball president, Liga Saro has only allowed her Under 21 girls to represent Northland in the MH Netball Tour today.
Saro, who has been with Northland long enough to know what’s best for her district, wants to develop her young players.
“These girls are more eager to play than the senior players,”Saro said.
“The older players who have been representing Northland have been exposed and have not improved.”
Saro said she wanted to see a change in the sport at Tailevu North which was why she has opted to give her U21 players a chance. “My line-up for the MH tour would be the same line-up I used in the Fiji Games.”
Saro’s young Northland girls reached the quarterfinals in the Fiji Games bowing out to the eventual winners, Suva.
“The only change would be Anamaria Nabobo who will help the girls at the semicircle.”
Saro said she only brought back Nabobo because her young shooters lacked finishing in the semicircle.
“Our shooters were short and they couldn’t make points when the ball eventually got to them.”
“I want to expose my girls more into high levels of competition.”
Saro said she knew her girls have the potential and if given the right coach, they would eventually become better netball players. “Making it into the Fiji Games quarters was an achievement in itself.” Saro believes that this would be a good year for Northland in the sport especially when she has seen a vast improvement in the support they have been given.
“Club competitions have gone well especially with more youths participating and not waiting for older players to start the season for them.”
Saro said with most of her players currently schooling at Tailevu North she was happy with the support the school has also given them.
Meanwhile, Saro said if the mother association could only provide them with a good coach, which she said NF is looking into, her girls would be able to achieve heights never been achieved by Northland.
“We had coaches who were helped by NF but because they were not from here, most have left and others have not made use of the knowledge they have.”