Ilma’s unwavering dedication to netball
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The victorious Ilma International netball team with the coaches
The year 2020 has already seen several milestones reached, with Ilma International Girls’ School hosting the 10th consecutive TISSL Inter-International Schools Under-20 Netball Tournament.
To delve into the history of netball in Ilma, it is fair to say that it all kicked off with a few students who played a sport that they loved – no tournament, no professional court and the bare minimum of the equipment they required. While all that took a turn for the better, what remains today is the same bright passion for the game, gleaming now as it did all those years ago.
Year on year, generation upon generation, the girls of the school have inscribed a part of their story into the history of Ilma and into the history of netball. Team Ilma has carried away the championship trophy along with the runners-up trophy many a times.
Ilma's Safiyah Fazal won the award for Best Defence
Today, Team Ilma is privileged beyond mention to be coached by the former national team coach and player, and the former national team captain, Deepthi Alwis and Semini Alwis. Their experience and understanding of the sport exposed the Ilma girls to a more rigorous and demanding practice schedule that has tested their limits, and surpassed them, which has helped the students to develop their confidence and skills.
At this year’s tournament, which was held on January 25, Team Ilma was led by Maariyah Rizwan, and her deputy Haifa Hassan, who have both managed to pull together a team of determined and skillful young players. The team brought pride and glory to the alma mater once again when they secured bronze at the tournament this year, with Safiyah Fazal winning the special award for Best Defence.
It came down to the small moments, in the end, the details. The practices at 6.00am and staying up late to keep up with the rest of their class, the long bus drives for matches and being called out on court, the coaches that never stopped pushing them and the parents that were patient and supportive, for whom we are forever grateful.
Looking back at the Ilma team today, the potential is clearly visible and, in it, a promise that says - history was made before, and it will keep repeating.