Little did she know, it would be a year and a half before Sindhu Nair set foot on a competitive netball court again.
The national athlete – who plays the Goal Keeper (GK) and Goal Defence (GD) positions for the Singapore Vandas – tried to go in for an intercept during a match in the 2023 PacificAus Sports Netball Series held in April that year.
“I jumped, and I felt a slight push. My entire right leg turned, but my body didn’t, and I tore my (anterior cruciate ligament) ACL,” the 30-year-old explained to tabla!
The ACL is one of the key ligaments that help to stabilise the knee joint. The injury left her completely unable to walk, and Sindhu was escorted off the court in a wheelchair.
The pain was both physical and emotional, as the next day’s match would have marked her 50th game for Singapore. The injury also prevented her from taking part in the 2023 Netball World Cup, which was held just a couple of months later.
She had to undergo ACL reconstruction surgery and moved around on crutches for a period of time. Through many physiotherapy sessions and with tremendous support from her family, the netballer recovered enough to return to the gym.
“My then netball coach basically trained me one-on-one, because I wasn’t ready to go back and train with the team just yet,” Sindhu explained.
It took her around nine months to return to court work, and another six months to be included back into the competition squad.
She played in the 2024 Asian Netball Championships, where Team Singapore clinched first place. Still, she felt uncertain about her performance and was worried that she was not at her fittest or strongest at the time.
“I don’t think I would’ve gotten injured again. But, mentally I was afraid that the same thing would happen,” Sindhu said. “In retrospect, I could’ve given myself more time to come back.”
It did not help when she was benched for the 2025 competition season, leading to thoughts of retiring from her national career. It all boiled down to two major factors: age and commitment.
Sindhu joined the Vandas in 2017 and is currently the oldest player on the team. Most of her friends and the more experienced players she started out with had already left.
On top of her six-day weekly training schedule, she also works full-time as a dispute lawyer after being called to the bar in 2021.
“I think my biggest concern was that I’m spending so much time, and what if it ends up being for nothing?” she added.
Her passion for the sport, coupled with encouragement from her husband, who fetches her home after every practice session, convinced Sindhu to give it another shot. National coach Tara Steel was also extremely supportive.
“She continued with resilience and determination to improve physically and technically on court in her defensive position. To see the growth in her performance and confidence has been great,” Steel said.
With 60 international test caps experience, Sindhu will be one of the key leaders of the team, alongside captain Toh Kai Wei, 30, as the Vandas prepare for the Asian Netball Championships held in Hong Kong from Aug 8 to 15, 2026.
The tournament will also double up as the Asia Regional Qualifier for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia.
“Our goal is to be the champions again,” Sindhu said, adding that Singapore will qualify for the World Cup if the team finishes in second place or higher in the final standings.
Cheering her on from the stands will be her biggest fans – her parents, brother, uncle and husband – who will be travelling to Hong Kong to watch Sindhu play in person.
“They really want to support the team, and enjoy watching Singapore netball,” she said.
