An excited crowd of netball fans, locals, tourists and adopt-a-school kids crowded into the Telecom Sports Arena on Monday afternoon to watch the start of the World Youth Netball Championships. It began with the entry of the twenty teams, marching in one country at a time while the crowd cheered, waved flags and banged 'bangers'. Australia was in the lead with the Cook Islands at the end and Kuki the Kukupa, the mini games mascot also put in an appearance and danced as the netballers marched past.
After an imene tuki from Oire Nikao and an opening prayer, there were just three short speeches and then Nikao village dancers entertained the crowd while the first two contestants got ready to play.
The game between the Cook Islands and Wales was a thriller. Although the Cook Islands lead from the start, the Welsh girls never gave up and clawed back to within a goal or two on several occasions.
At the final whistle the score was 43 - 37 and Cook Islands supporters breathed a sigh of relief!
On Tuesday at 12.00pm Jamaica play USA and PNG play Singapore.
At 2.15pm it's Australia v South Africa and Fiji v Samoa.
At 5.00pm it's England v Vanuatu amd Cook Islands v Malaysia.
At 7.15pm NZ v Barbados and Northern Ireland v Trinidad and Tobago.
The results from these games should be updated as they happen. Check them out at the WYNC website results page for D1DS (Day 1 Day Session) here and D1ES (Day 1 Evening Session) here.