WeeklySA_AdminLEGACY: Thorough plan is needed to advance sport of netball as well as ensuring facilities in township are upgraded
By Molefi Mika
As the country urges our national netball team to be merciless in the 2023 World Cup, officials are on the other hand asked to also thoroughly plan about the future of this sport thereafter.
This comes from, among the others, one of the legends of the game Hazel “Special” Gumede a 2007 G-Sport hall of fame inductee.
Netball having been introduced to the world in 1892 it only came to our shores 1925, needless to say and for that matter being exposed to whites only due to the racist laws of the day.
However, sport boycotts initiated by the Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania and the African National Congress and supported by some human-right groupings, among other things, resulted in apartheid South Africa barred from international competitions until after 1992.
And as that was the case, girls at some black schools were made to take part in some sport called “basketball” which was more about jumping around, unlike netball it allowed contact.
World Cup competitions in netball, then simply referred to as Netball World Championships, were introduced in 1963. Australians seemed more prepared for them as they turned them into their staple food by winning 11 titles while their neighbour New Zealand (NZ) scooped it five times, the lesser fancied Trinidad and Tobago squad claimed it once.
It can’t therefore be surprising to see the Oceania countries ranked thus in the Top 10: 1 – Australia, 2- NZ, 3 – England, 4 – Jamaica, 5 – SA, 6 – Malawi, 7 – Tonga, 8 – Uganda, 9 – Wales, 10 – Scotland.
Said Gumede: “My best wishes go to Netball South Africa (NSA) in this World Cup, regarding the smooth running of the event and also our team doing its best regardless of the known dominance of certain countries.
“It may be wishful thinking on my part but I fancy them (the squad) to move from the fifth spot to second afterwards.”
With sports anything is possible, more so with our players playing before packed arenas at home, my personal view, they are likely to be super-charged to ravage the “enemy”.
In captain Bongiwe Msomi they have one of the most resilient players in the game of netball and her leadership quality has been remarkable to date. we also wish and hope that her teammates would also go out there all guns blazing to set the terraces aflame with excitement.
Former NSA president, Muditambi “Ntambi” Ravele, said: “We wish our girls to go all the way in this World Cup. It has also been impressive to see the coverage of local netball on TV but I wish that could also be extended by showing what’s happening in the townships where facilities are still a problem.
“There is a possibility that it would be more amazing if people were able to see players from their neighbourhood given a chance with such an exposure to emulate their idols in the national team, and this has a potential to also attract more sponsors.”
The issue of a lack of recreational and sports facilities in many townships is quite a head-ache for many, this including people who don’t want this to be more of a Government problem when they could also help.
Out in Katlehong, Ekurhuleni they have a youth club aimed at giving local kids some positiveness and hope in their approach to life. The two-year-old plus Phake Youth Club (PYC) caters for sports that include netball, soccer and there are plans to add other codes, it also has a book club. PYC which has its own leaders (officials) who run the club is also guided by a team of volunteering patrons who assist with fundraising projects that helped stage three annual tournaments this far: Boys Under-17 (soccer), girls’ netball tourney and for Under-19s (boys’ soccer).
Says Dikeledi Kekana, secretary of PYC: “Like all South Africans we are fully behind our girls in this coming World Cup, and our appreciation also go to the president of NSA, Cecilia Molokwane and her team for their sterling job.
“We really also hope that when the world cup is over NSA will visit some of the townships where netball is being played, this in order to see the struggle people have in an effort to keep kids busy, but fail due to lack of facilities.”
Gumede adds that unlike before when netball players were recruited at schools by local teams as was the case in football, lately that’s not happening any more.
The former Young Limited sharp-shooter who along the way collected many awards, was at some stage after being selected into the Transvaal squad only to be dropped without an explanation, sparking off speculation that some officials were uncomfortable in having a black player in their team, has since moved on by staying positive minded.
“I also think we should revive netball in township schools. The department of education can assist by actually hiring netball coaches for schools and offer students bursaries to be in a position to also get a chance to play for teams in big leagues as it happens with university and college students,” suggests Gumede who still coaches at one of the schools in Soweto.
Needless to say, NSA together with school sport authorities and of course SASCOC (South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee), need to meet and knock sense into some of the seemingly heartless town councilors who appear to be out there for their personal needs rather than communities they are supposed to serve.
That parked: “Go for it our netball Proteas.”
#Molefi Mika is SA Hall of Fame – 2008 Media Inductee; Author of Dance Siwelele, Resilient Ntate Molemela and Modest Life Changer
Nicholl CBE, CEO Clare Briegal with Netball South Africa’s President Cecilia Molokwane posing with the Vitality Netball World Cup trophy at
the SA London House, London, on Tuesday
IT IS HERE!
FEEL IT: Vitality Netball World Cup trophy has arrived in South Africa to drum up excitement leading to July spectacle
By Sports Reporter
The official handover of the Netball World Cup trophy, from World Netball to Netball South Africa, hosts of the Vitality Netball World Cup 2023, took place on Tuesday at South Africa House, London.
The High Commissioner, J.N Mamabolo, welcomed the World Netball President, Liz Nicholl CBE, CEO Clare Briegal, and Board Director Lyn Carpenter, as well as Netball South Africa’s President Cecilia Molokwane and CEO Blanche de la Guerre, and all other dignitaries present to the proceedings.
Following the handover, the trophy flew to South Africa landing in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal on Africa Day, May 25 ready to start a six-week long tour of the country, visiting all nine provinces.
Starting proceedings, The High Commissioner, Mamabolo, said: “It is our wish that South Africa’s hosting of the Vitality Netball World Cup 2023 will contribute to the growth of the sport, both at home and globally.
“It is also heartening to know that the trophy will make its way across the length and breadth of our country and in so doing, bring the sport of netball to all South Africans through fan parks and legacy projects.
Nicholl then went on to address the dignitaries present saying:
“We are thrilled to be here today at South Africa House for the official handover of the Netball World Cup trophy and the official start of the ‘Trophy Tour’,
“The Road to Cape Town began back in March 2019 when Netball South Africa was awarded the rights to host the event, so although the Vitality Netball World Cup 2023 does not start until the 28th July, the preparations and activations are very much underway in South Africa, and we are really enjoying seeing the whole nation get behind them.
“I am sure this support will grow significantly as the Netball World Cup trophy heads to South Africa to start a 6-week tour.”
The Vitality Netball World Cup 2023, taking place in Cape Town South Africa from July 28 to August 6 at the Cape Town international Convention Centre, will be the first ever to take place on the continent of Africa.
Speaking on the importance of this Molokwane then added: “We said we wanted the trophy to land on the 25th May which is Africa Day, because this is not a ‘South African’ tournament, it might be hosted in South Africa, but it is an African tournament.”
“The Netball World Cup started in 1963, and South Africa was one of the countries participating, but only now does the Netball World Cup go to South Africa after 60 years, it is history in the making for us to say that after 60 years we can bring it to Africa.
Make sure you are following the Netball World Cup, on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to keep up to date with all the latest news from the trophy tour.
To be part of the first ever Netball World Cup on the African continent, head to the Vitality Netball World Cup 2023 website now to purchase your tickets.
