Are you ready for the World Netball Championships 2011? Tickets are on sale now!

Qualifiers for the much-anticipated World Netball Championships 2011 kick off in the various continents during the second half of this year, as they prepare for the competition in Singapore come July 2011. Singaporeans will also get the opportunity to purchase tickets starting 22 February 2010 via SISTIC; international ticket sales will start on 1 March 2010.

The World Netball Championships features top nations and will take place from 3 to 10 July 2011 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. With 16 countries vying for the World Championship title, this will be an exciting and entertaining tournament not to be missed.

Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, England and Malawi have already having secured the coveted top five spots as per their final results in the last World Netball Championships in 2007. Team Singapore has also been awarded a slot as the Republic is the host nation.

The other 10 teams will be selected through qualifying rounds conducted in each region in the second half of 2010. The two best teams from Africa, Americas & Caribbean, Asia, Europe and Oceania will compete in Singapore for top honours.

Europe's World Netball Championships qualifiers will kick off from 18 to 20 June 2010 in Glasgow, Scotland, with teams from Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland playing for the top two spots. Elaine Rice, coach for the Scottish team, and host country for the qualifiers commented, "Having competed in Singapore at the last Nations Cup in 2009, we're really keen on returning to play against some of the best in the world and we're all excited about the Championships. I'm confident too that the girls will be in the best condition at the qualifiers come June, especially since they will be on home ground."

Oceania will be holding their qualifiers from 5 to 6 June 2010 in Rarotonga of the Cook Islands. The Americas Regional Championships will take place from 22 to 29 July 2010 in St. Lucia in the Caribbean Sea, and Asia is currently working on confirming a qualifying date and location, with Malaysia and Sri Lanka expected to be vying for the spots to compete in Singapore come 2011.

Despite it being a year and a half away from the World Netball Championships, there has been a demand for tickets for the 2011 game, with organisers announcing the launch of ticket sales in Singapore and internationally.

Seating at the indoor stadium will be on a first come first serve basis, so Singaporeans will be pleased to know that they have priority on tickets for the World Netball Championships, when they go on sale from 22 February 2010. This will provide locals the option of obtaining the best seats in the house through the Platinum and Gold packages.

For the first phase of ticket sales, only Platinum will be available. At $550, the Platinum package gives you a season pass to the entire tournament, with spectators enjoying privileges to pick prime seats, gain access to the Express queue and collect special World Netball Championships 2011 merchandise to the quadrennial event.

Gold Packages and Daily tickets will be released later this year

International fans can get their hand on tickets from 1 March 2010, where they can also buy Platinum packages. Travel and ticket packages through appointed travel agents in their countries, which will be listed on the event's website at http://www.wnc2011.com

Ms. Jessica Tan, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the World Netball Championships, and Member of Parliament of East Coast GRC expressed her delight at the demand for tickets to the Championships at such an early stage, saying," The early call for the release of tickets locally and internationally is encouraging to the organising committee in Singapore, and to the International Federation of Netball Associations as it demonstrates the growth in the popularity of the sport worldwide. We are pleased to be part of the World Netball Championships and I'm confident that Singapore will put on a stellar event for the world to see."

Once tickets are purchased through SISTIC, customers will receive a confirmation slip for ticket collection in 2011, with the collection period to be advised at a later date.