Netball fever hits Mpumalanga squarely as Netball Fridays are launched
The launch of Netball Fridays comes just a week after Mpumalanga’s pride and joy, the Sunbirds, had finished as runners-up in the Telkom Netball League.
Just like the 2010 Soccer World Cup, which was Africa’s first, this country will once again rewrite the history books by becoming the first African state to host the Netball World Cup. The country’s Cape Town as host city will present the 2023 Netball World Cup, making this the first time ever it is hosted on African soil since the establishment of World Netball some 69 years ago.
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In preparation for this, the Mpumalanga Department of Culture, Sports and Recreation and Netball South Africa has officially launched Netball Fridays to create much needed hype and awareness around these games.
Held at the Mbombela Stadium last Friday, the launch was presided over by the MEC for this department, Thandi Shongwe, and Netball SA president Cecilia Molokwane.
This launch also comes just a week after Mpumalanga’s pride and joy, the Sunbirds, had finished as runners-up in the Telkom Netball League. “We want to give these games as much attention and support, the same way we gave the 2010 Soccer World Cup games hosted in the country.
The launch of the Netball Friday is just a first step towards creating awareness for these games. Remember, South Africa becomes the first country on the continent to host these games, and we must pull out all the stops to be a successful host just like we did in 2010,” said Shongwe.
She said she was dazed by the fact that netball is once again taking centre stage as it had done during the old days.
“What makes us proud is the fact that our very own netball team, the Mpumalanga Sunbirds, are doing just great, and we hope to see some of their players in national colours come 2023,” she beamed.
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“We are all about taking netball to the people and making the sport fashionable and attractive again. As Netball South Africa, we believe that this broadcast deal between the Netball World Cup Company and the two big broadcasters in the country is a step in the right direction – this means that more South Africans will now get a chance to see their national team (the SPAR Proteas) play on home soil.
This is something that has never happened before. The continent will see their respective teams playing as well, so this is great. I am hoping that as a federation, we can engage with the broadcasters post the World Cup to see how we can continue growing the game here at home,” said Molokwane.
