India will take on Thailand in the opening match of the seventh Asian youth girls' (under-21) netball championship that opens at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex here on Saturday.
The other nations in the field are Malaysia, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and Singapore. The competition, a test event for the Commonwealth Games to be held in October, follows a league-cum-knockout format. The top four teams after the league will make it to the semifinals.
Since the sport is dominated by countries like Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica and England, India stands no chance of a medal in the Commonwealth Games.
Even in the Asian championship, held last year, India lost badly to Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong in the league phase.
Over the next one week, Singapore and Malaysia, are expected to find their way into the final. In the last world youth championship, Singapore finished 14th, one ahead of Malaysia. Sri Lanka, winner the Asian women's title last year, can also be expected to among the serious contenders for a place in the semifinals.
Netball, closest to basketball, is played between teams of seven players each. The court is bigger than the one used for basketball. In netball, rings or hoops are placed at both ends without the backboard. Goals can be scored only from within the opposition's goal circle.
