Injury-hit netballer Priscilla Wong gears up for her international debut

National netballer Priscilla Wong has battled a lengthy list of injuries in recent years. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

Kimberly Kwek

UPDATED Jun 14, 2025, 05:56 PM

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SINGAPORE – With 2025 shaping up to be a pivotal year for the national netball team – there are three major competitions, including the SEA Games – goal shooter Priscilla Wong was eager to stake her claim and make her international debut.

Those ambitions were put on hold in February, when she suffered a concussion after a collision with an opponent during a Netball Super League (NSL) match, prematurely ending her season with the Fier Orcas.

Sidelined for two months, the 23-year-old feared her chance of a call-up had slipped away.

She said: “Prior to the season, I was making sure I was conditioned well and there was a big year for the Opens squad so it was something that I could fight for.

“When the concussion happened and things led up to it and not being able to play the whole season, I thought that my chance was basically gone.”

But she got her chance in May, when national coach Tara Steel called her to share the happy news that she had been selected for the Singapore Vandas’ first international outing of the year, the United Arab Emirates Netball Cup in Dubai from June 15 to 21.

The Nanyang Technological University undergraduate, who joined the Opens team in 2024, said: “I was quite excited for it because for me, it’s been a long process from the time I started netball and then playing for Singapore A (the developmental squad). It took quite a lot of effort, dedication and hard work to make the team and making it to the Opens team doesn’t guarantee you a spot in competitions as well.

“It was very nerve-racking for me because my teammates are all at the same level or a higher level and I felt that I should really cherish the opportunity.”

Getting her debut in the UAE Netball Cup will be a huge boost for the player, who has had a challenging run of injuries over the past three years.

In 2023, she ruptured the ligaments on her left ankle. The following year, she suffered a Lisfranc injury in the same foot and a meniscus strain in her right knee. In 2025, on top of the concussion, she also tore the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) in her right ankle.

But the concussion was the hardest to deal with. She continued to show up for matches to support her teammates, even though it pained her to watch from the sidelines – Wong credits her coaches, family and friends for getting her through that tough period.

With the injuries behind her, Wong said that donning national colours has been her dream since she started playing netball at 13.

Originally a softball player, she picked up netball when her secondary school did not offer softball as a co-curricular activity.

With the injuries behind her, Priscilla Wong said that donning national colours has been her dream since she started playing netball at 13. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

While it has not been an easy journey, the challenges have shaped Wong as a player.

On what kept her going, she said: “I felt like there was no way for me to turn back anymore because when I started my journey, it was something I wanted to pursue at a higher level and how I can offer myself as a player who can benefit the team.

“If it (the injuries) had happened at the beginning, it would’ve been a very different story. But going through everything, it just taught me to become more resilient and how I can push further.”

Steel is excited to see what Wong has to offer in the circle. With goal shooter Lee Pei Shan recovering from back surgery, the coach noted that it will give other players an opportunity to step up.

This will be Steel’s first international tournament with the team since her appointment in March.

The Australian said: “In a Singapore environment, she’s a really accurate goal shooter – she’s strong on the take, strong in the whole circle.

“She’s quite tall in the Singapore context, so internationally her height will probably be challenged a little bit more, but that’ll be a great opportunity and a great experience for her to come up against some international defenders. That will be a different challenge from what she’s used to locally.”

In Dubai, world No. 26 Singapore will first play 28th-ranked Republic of Ireland on June 15, before taking on Kenya (25), Namibia (18), the United States (30) and UAE (23).

The team will also compete in November’s Nations Cup in Singapore, followed by the Dec 9-20 SEA Games in Thailand.

Steel added: “Coming up against different opponents, we’ll see a variety of international styles – a range of international flair, different heights, different sizes out on court.

“Ultimately, for us, it’s about our game and how we play to our strengths, and how we can take on taller opponents, but use our ability to distribute the ball, shoot from short and long range.”

Kimberly Kwek joined The Straits Times in 2019 as a sports journalist and has since covered a wide array of sports, including golf and sailing.

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