SINGAPORE — The Singapore netball team could be without two key senior players for the annual Netball Nations Cup at the end of this year (Dec 13 to 19).

Vice-captain Chen Huifen, who plays in goal-attack or as a winger, has been on a break from national training after the World Cup in August, while veteran defender Premila Hirubalan has yet to confirm her availability for the Nations Cup because of work commitments.

National coach Ruth Aitken told TODAY that the duo, along with skipper Micky Lin, will not be part of the 12-strong squad that will be heading to Botswana next month for a training trip. Lin also cited work commitments for her unavailability.

However, Lin, 30, who works for consulting firm Deloitte Singapore, has told Aitken that she will be available for selection for the Nations Cup.

Both Chen, a teacher, and Hirubalan, who is a medical officer with the Singapore General Hospital, were part of the national team that won the Asian Championships gold last year as well as the gold at the SEA Games in June. They were also part of the World Cup squad that finished 15th in Sydney in August.

The vastly experienced duo also have 221 caps between them — Hirubalan has 112 while Chen is three caps behind at 109.

Said Aitken of the 30-year-old Chen, who is a teacher: “Huifen is taking a break for the rest of this year, so she’s not available for Botswana or the Nations Cup.

“She is playing NSL (Netball Super League) next year, and we will reassess where things are for her then and whether she wants to come back to the squad or not,” said Aitken. “I think it is just about her having that space really to make that decision. She has work commitments, and also probably because of the sheer intensity of being a national athlete.”

As for Hirubalan, 33, Aitken said: “The senior players have given an awful lot of their time to netball this year, and they kind of try to balance some time with their employers as well. So Prem is not available for Botswana, and we will take one step at a time and see if she will be able to make it to Nations Cup.”

Aitken has also started rebuilding the national team and blooding new players in anticipation of possible retirements by national team stalwarts next year. According to her, there is enough talent in the national squad to rise up to the national team should Chen, Hirubalan, and Lin decide to step down next year.

She has made this assessment after taking some players from the Opens and under-21s side to a training camp in Hong Kong.

“I’ve given up predicting what my players are going to do with their lives,” said the New Zealander who admitted that the veteran trio’s retirements would be “a massive blow”.

“At some point in time, they are all going to retire and move on. That’s the nature of sport. My job is to build a team with depth.

“You can’t replace them overnight, but you can keep building a strong team with depth in the squad.”

Referring to the Botswana trip, she said: “This is also an opportunity for us to build some depth and provide some international opportunities for the other players.”

Singapore finished second in the last two editions of the Nations Cup. The Republic last won the tournament in 2007.