S'pore still in Carpenter's heart
Former national coach Kate Carpenter led Singapore to two 15th-place finishes at the Netball World Cup in 2007 and 2011.
She guided Singapore to their first Asian Netball Championship title on home soil in 2005, and did it again in 2012.
Kate Carpenter also steered the Singapore netball side to two World Cups, in 2007 and 2011. They finished 15th on both occasions.
The Kiwi (far right) had been the national coach for seven years, spanning two stints.
The 47-year-old stepped down in 2012, and is now back at the Netball World Cup in Sydney as the coach of Fiji.
In an interview with The New Paper, Carpenter said: "The opportunity to coach Fiji opened up, and for me it was a chance to coach a top side in a place where netball is a dominant sport.
"Personally it is also closer to home... I have friends there and the lifestyle works for me, too."
"Having been to so many different places, I am still a country girl from New Zealand and (Fiji) suits me nicely," added Carpenter, who was Singapore coach from 2004 to 2007, and 2010 to 2012.
The Pacific Island is Carpenter's fifth international gig, since she started her coaching career with Papua New Guinea in 1997. Carpenter also had a short-term coaching stint in Tanzania in 2009, and helmed Northern Ireland in 2013 after finishing her contract in Singapore.
IN TOUCH
The 47-year-old may have left the team over two years ago, but she still keeps in touch with the Singapore players, and followed their progress at tournaments such as the Asian Championship last year, and the South-east Asia Games in June.
She said: "They have obviously been successful (with current coach Ruth Aitken), winning the SEA Games for the first time and the Asian Championship again.
"I also watched them beat Sri Lanka (last Friday); they've done a good job and are still the best in the region."
The Singapore team played Fiji in training matches earlier this year, as well as in Sydney before the World Cup started.
Carpenter said: "Sure, I miss them.
"I am in contact with them, not just in terms of netball, but what they are doing with their lives.
"We catch up whenever I see them at competitions, or when they were in Suva (Fiji's capital) earlier this year. And that's the important thing about netball.
"Yes, it's a sport, but the friendships you have and the tournaments you've gone through together - both good and bad - draw and keep you together."
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