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ALL SET: The tournament will be a major economic boost for the Cape Town hospitality industry
By Sports Reporter
Excitement is mounting in town as the Cape Town CBD gets ready to host Africa’s first Netball World Cup at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) next week.
With the Netball World Cup Trophy already in the city – having arrived in Cape Town last week amidst great fanfare – the City of Cape Town is in the process of constructing a family-oriented Fan Park outside the CTICC where netball fans will be able to watch matches on a big screen, play interactive games, and enjoy free entertainment and other activations. Several of the 16 teams that will be competing from across five World Netball regions have already arrived in the city to compete in the global tournament, which opens on July 28 and runs until August 6.
The sporting event is set to significantly boost the tourism and eventing economy of the inner city as well as that of greater Cape Town and the Western Province.
Tasso Evangelinos, CEO of the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID), says hosting the event is a proud moment for the city and the CBD. “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to, once again, showcase that Cape Town, and its CBD, is a world-class sporting and events destination and will build on the excellent reputation we established when we hosted other international sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup in 2010.”
The CBD and greater Cape Town is set to benefit directly from visitor and organiser spend, and from job creation during and after the event.
With the event taking place in the footprint of the CCID, Evangelinos says the CCID’s operational departments – Safety & Security and Urban Management – were ready to welcome players and thousands of visitors to town.
CCID Safety & Security manager Jurie Bruwer says the department has put measures in place to ensure the areas around the Fan Park and the CTICC are safe and welcoming. “We will be collaborating with SAPS and City Law Enforcement and will restructure the deployment of our Public Safety Officers (PSOs) prior to the event.”
CCID security guards will be placed strategically around the periphery of the event, says Bruwer. “In addition, our specialised six-member unit will patrol the area surrounding the event and be highly visible.”
The tournament will be a major economic boost for the Cape Town hospitality industry, with the country’s leading hotel group, Southern Sun, being the world cup’s Official Hotel Partner.
The Netball World Cup 2023 is one of many global sporting events that have taken place in the Mother City this year.
In February alone, at least three international events took place in Cape Town including the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup international cricket tournament, of which Cape Town was one of three international host cities; the IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship Division II Group B tournament; and Africa’s first-ever E-Prix event which took place in the Green Point precinct when Cape Town joined 11 other cities as a host of Season 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
The Netball Fan Park will open daily from 07h00 and will close after the final match of the day. Adding atmosphere will be Cape Town Carnival floats as well as cultural performances. Activities include netball exhibition matches and there will be a seated food court.
The opening concert takes place on Wednesday at 18h00.
DOWNS PREPS IN BELGIUM
IMPACT: Masandawana expected to hit the ground running in their friendly games as they prepare for the 2023/24 in the company of renowned football clubs
By Sports Reporter
Mamelodi Sundowns resumed their preparations for the upcoming season with an international trip to the Netherlands with some high profile fixtures already scheduled.
Downs goalkeeper Coach Wendel Robinson, provided an insightful update on the team’s progress during their time abroad.
“The first match we will play against Ghent Belgium premier League team, second match will be Go ahead Eagles, third match will be Sparta Rotterdam and then we’ll finish off next Friday [when] we play against NAC Breda, who play in the first division here in the Netherlands,” he said.
The Brazilians have taken a bold step forward to face new challenges and test themselves against top-flight European teams.
Coach Wendel looked to hit the ground running in their friendly games as they prepare for the 2023/24 season and expressed how the team found themselves in the company of renowned football clubs and the impact this will have ahead of the competitions that await for them in the domestic league and on the continent.
“The first match we will play against Ghent Belgium premier League team, second match will be Go ahead Eagles, third match will be Sparta Rotterdam and then we’ll finish off next Friday [when] we play against NAC Breda, who play in the first division here in the Netherlands. This camp is to take the opposition upper-level, because you know we are preparing for a very, very big season with a number of competitions.
“This camp we’re basically looking for stronger competition [because] this season the club will be involved in a number of competitions besides the DStv premiership and CAF Champions League. There is the Nedbank Cup, the MTN8, we also have the Carling Black label Cup thrown in and and as well as the African football league as well, so it’s going to be a really really tough and difficult season so this camp was important for us to to really come out and test ourselves. I think with this camp we are really trying to play against very, very strong opposition and see how we fare.”
Sports:
Briefs
PRESTON TO WOW NETBALL FANS
Highly acclaimed Afro-soul/R&B singer and songwriter, Preston Sihlangu, gears up to captivate audiences at the opening of the Netball World Cup, which will be held on July 28.
Sihlangu’s magnetic stage presence and soulful voice have earned him a legion of fans, and they are in for a treat as the artist prepares to deliver unforgettable performances. With his beloved signature style and boundless energy, the Afro-soul sensation is sure to excite the audience. He will definitely leave a mark on this prestigious sporting event.
While netball fans wait for the thrilling on-court action, Sihlangu’s performance at the opening ceremony will set the perfect tone for this grand occasion.
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO OUT TO SPRING SURPRISE
Just three teams have lifted the Netball World Cup trophy in the tournament’s 60-year history. Two of them are powerhouses of the sport – Australia and New Zealand – but the third is a little less predictable – Trinidad and Tobago.
The tiny island nation boast that unique distinction, having shared the title with Australia and New Zealand in 1979. Back then the tournament was played over two round-robin group stages with no playoffs, and after the three nations all finished with eight wins and one loss, they were declared joint winners.
That legacy still lives on in the Caribbean team, with one of the members of that successful side, Peggy Castanada, still involved on the coaching side, helping out in the shooting circle. Castanada knows a thing or two about shooting. Trinidad and Tobago scored the most goals in the 1979 tournament
“LITTLE” JAMAICA TOUCHES DOWS
Team Jamaica touched down in Cape Town this week with one goal in mind – claiming the title at the Netball World Cup 2023 (NWC2023).
Head coach Connie Francis, who competed in an incredible five Netball World Cups as a player, quoted a well-known Jamaican phrase which sums up the mood in camp – “Wi likkle but wi tallawah.” The meaning: We may be small but we are mighty.
The island nation with a population of around 3 million has produced some remarkable results over the years, including being one of the few sides in the world to have beaten 11-time Netball World Cup champions Australia. Jamaica have played at every Netball World Cup since the tournament’s inception in 1963 and have claimed three bronze medals – in 1991, 2003 (as hosts) and 2007.
The Jamaicans have once again been drawn in the same pool as the SPAR Proteas, with the two scheduled to go head-to-head on July 30.
ZIMBABWEAN GEMS BOUYANT
The Zimbabwe senior netball team are now prepared for the 2023 World Cup tournament set to run from July 28 to August 6 in Cape Town, South Africa. Nicknamed the Gems, Zimbabwe’s senior netball team is scheduled to leave for Cape Town on Thursday. They received US$72 000 sponsorship that will also cater for allowances from Nedbank Zimbabwe on Tuesday.
Speaking on the sponsorship deal at the team’s send off luncheon organised by Nedbank Zimbabwe in Harare, the company’s Acting Head of Marketing, Public Relations and Client Services Latifa Kassim outlined:
“As part of our corporate social investment thrust, we have been intentional about contributing towards sport in our country.
INSIDE WORLD NETBALL
Over 20 million people play Netball around the world in more than 117 countries. World Netball is the sole, internationally recognised, governing body for Netball, affiliated to the International World Games Association and the Association of Recognised Sports Federations (ARISF), receiving funding from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Currently, 79 National Netball Associations are affiliated to World Netball grouped into 5 Regions – Africa, Asia, Americas, Europe and Oceania – each with a respective Regional Federation. Regional Federations are an integral part of the global governance structure and assist in the implementation of World Netball policies and the development of the sport in their respective regions.
