DUBAI // An Emirati schoolgirl who is too old to play mixed rugby but too young for the senior women’s game has been told she could instead excel at netball.
Sophie Shams, 13, is still three years too young to be permitted to play her first sporting love, rugby, in the UAE women’s league.
Until recently, the Dubai College schoolgirl was one of the standout players in mixed junior rugby teams that were otherwise dominated by boys.
Her powerful defence and leadership qualities earned her the captaincy of her primary school side at Jumeirah English Speaking School.
She is highly regarded in the sport and still trains with her school team, as well Dubai Exiles and Hurricanes senior women’s sides, but is now unable to play matches.
“It is annoying because I have played with them since I was five and now I have had to change it,” she said. “I still train with them but I am not allowed to play competitive rugby with them because I am a girl.”
Happily, the teenager has a variety of options.
She has spent this Eid holiday week training under the guidance of Sonia Mkoloma, a professional netball player in Australia and former England international, at the Dubai Netball Academy (DNA).
“When Sophie was with us last year she was doing one morning of rugby, one morning of netball, and this year it is all netball,” Mkoloma said. “She is a good all-rounder and I know that whatever sport she goes into she gives 100 per cent in terms of commitment.
“Hopefully, she will still get the chance to play rugby, but she also excels at netball. Whatever she chooses to do she is going to succeed in it.”
Mkoloma thinks a variety of skills are transferable from rugby to netball — even if the latter is a non-contact sport.
Ironically, given that no collisions are permitted in the round-ball game, Shams still prefers the defensive side of the sport. However, she concedes that old rugby habits sometimes die hard and she occasionally lapses into contact-mode.
“I have played lots of different positions in netball but my favourite ones are in defence,” she said. “In all my sports I’m a defender. That’s where I play in football, and I find that’s where my natural talent lies best.
“I have to say I give away quite a few contacts in netball, and I get to five fouls very quickly when I’m playing basketball.”
Having a coach of Mkoloma’s pedigree as a guest coach this week is invaluable for Shams and her netball-playing peers, according to the DNA coach Angela Boyle.
Boyle founded the academy in 2002 and regularly coaches around 180 girls between seven and 15, and she says having an international player of high repute helping out is inspirational.
“The aim is to get these girls to a level where they are ready to play in the ladies league and capable of playing and challenging themselves there,” Boyle said. “It is inspirational for the girls to have someone like Sonia coaching them, and it brings out that little bit extra in them because of her experience.”
It is the second time Mkoloma – who played for England at three Commonwealth Games, three World Championships and two World Netball Series – has coached in Dubai.
She says players have improved noticeably since her previous trip here, 12 months ago.
“I can see the standard has improved from when I was here last year,” she said. “It is 90 per cent the same girls as last year and they have progressed so quickly.
“A year is a big gap and they can either lose it or improve. Most have improved.”
pradley@thenational.ae
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Company%20Profile
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What is Genes in Space?
Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration.
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
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List of officials:
Referees: Chris Broad, David Boon, Jeff Crowe, Andy Pycroft, Ranjan Madugalle and Richie Richardson.
Umpires: Aleem Dar, Kumara Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney, Ian Gould, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Bruce Oxenford, Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Sundaram Ravi, Paul Reiffel, Rod Tucker, Michael Gough, Joel Wilson and Paul Wilson.
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ovasave%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20November%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Majd%20Abu%20Zant%20and%20Torkia%20Mahloul%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Healthtech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Three%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24400%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Alwyn Stephen says much of his success is a result of taking an educated chance on business decisions.
His advice to anyone starting out in business is to have no fear as life is about taking on challenges.
“If you have the ambition and dream of something, follow that dream, be positive, determined and set goals.
"Nothing and no-one can stop you from succeeding with the right work application, and a little bit of luck along the way.”
Mr Stephen sells his luxury fragrances at selected perfumeries around the UAE, including the House of Niche Boutique in Al Seef.
He relaxes by spending time with his family at home, and enjoying his wife’s India cooking.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Law%2041.9.4%20of%20men%E2%80%99s%20T20I%20playing%20conditions
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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SPECS
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
What is double taxation?
- Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
- Those obligations apply to millions of Americans residing overseas – estimates range from 3.9 million to 5.5 million – including so-called "accidental Americans" who are unaware they hold dual citizenship
- The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
- Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
Origin
Dan Brown
Doubleday
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
