Simran Chand 
The Baby Pearls, concluded their campaign at the Netball World Youth Cup in Gibraltar, securing 11th place overall after edging out Malaysia 56–48 in a hard-fought final classification match.
The victory brings a positive end to a demanding tournament for the young side.
The Baby Pearls’ journey saw them finish third in their initial pool, trailing behind strong contenders South Africa and Malawi.
Moving into the playoff stages, they first secured a dominant 61–31 victory over tournament host Gibraltar.
However, their path to the top ten was halted in the 9th–12th place semi-finals by a resilient Samoa side, which pushed Fiji into the 11th-12th place match against Malaysia.
The final fixture against Malaysia proved to be an intense, back-and-forth battle.
Fiji opened strongly with key early interceptions and swift long passes, but Malaysia kept pace with accurate long-range shooting, resulting in a tight 27–25 halftime lead for the Pearls.
The turning point came in the third quarter, where Fiji’s suffocating defensive pressure and fast transitions forced critical errors, allowing the shooters to convert consistently.
Despite a final-quarter rally from Malaysia, the Baby Pearls maintained their composure, using quick decision-making and capitalizing on every turnover to seal the 56–48 win.
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