Over the weekend of 17-19th May, the FIMBA GB +55 Women continued their preparation for the European Championship in June in Pesaro with an impressive performance to win the Dublin masters title.
The FIMBA GB +55 women were undefeated in their first 3 pool games, scoring 115 points and conceding only 44. This left a round-robin deciding match against a Pegasus team who were also unbeaten to decide pool placings, before playing the same team in the final. The FIMBA team narrowly lost 18-14 in the final pool game where the team suffered one of those games where shots just wouldn’t fall. This left them second in the pool but still qualified for the final against the same Pegasus team.
In the final, with a loss against the same team to spur them on and the promise of a trophy, they quickly took the game to the opposition, opening up an 18-9 lead by half time. Whilst the Pegasus team tried to bring the game back, they just couldn’t cope with the defensive intensity and guile of the FIMBA team who ran out as convincing 26-11 winners in the game that mattered! It is testament to the resilience of the team that an injury resulting in a smaller squad for the final and a fresh loss against the same team did not damage their self-belief. They simply learned from it and applied themselves to making sure they each made a difference in the repeat fixture for the trophy.
A big thank you to Martin Haines for getting the squad in good shape to be competitive this year. The team is reaping the rewards of his hard work over the last 18 months where we are consistently demonstrating an advantage in athleticism and physical performance.
This tournament win proves that the FIMBA GB +55 Women’s squad is both mentally resilient and physically well prepared: They are sure to be a threat to all comers at the European Championships – Bring it on!
Stu Coffey – Head Coach
The team would like to take this opportunity to thank our partner BD Short Stays. If you are interested in partnering the +55 Women and support their journey in 2024, you can find all the relevant details on our partners page or you can support their journey with a personal donation by clicking here.
For more details on the FIMBA GB +55 Women click here or to keep up to date with the their journey to the European Championships in Italy, follow fimba.gb__w55s on Instagram.
