Acknowledged countrywide as a star netball player, Khanyisa Chawane (26), known as KC, said she is enjoying every minute of the Netball World Cup (NWC) 2023.
Currently taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, Chawane said is it a great opportunity to play on home ground.
“The World Cup is going extremely well and the atmosphere by the courtside is amazing, filled with great energy from South Africans. The support has also been fantastic and it is well received by the SPAR Proteas team,” she said during an interview with Mpumalanga News.
The community of Thulamahashe has been behind her since the start of the NWC on Friday July 28. Chawane started playing netball in primary school when she lived in Thulamahashe. She moved to Tzaneen to live with her grandparents for high school.
She said she used to play for fun with her friends, and as an extracurricular activity at school.
“It became more serious in high school as I qualified to play for provincial teams and was recognised to play for the South Africa’s U18 junior team. I continued playing and dedicating myself when I got to the University of the Free State (UFS). I made it into the national team, SPAR Proteas, and participated in the NWC 2019 in Liverpool. This is when I realised I want to be the most professional netballer and make my mark as a sportswoman in South Africa,” Chawane said.
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Some of her achievements include being named Player of the Tournament in every tournament she played in 2018, and being an assistant coach at UFS.
Chawane encouraged young girls who might have dreams to become successful in sports, to always dream and put in the work. “I started playing netball for fun but when it got serious, I aligned my dreams to inspire people. I am constantly working hard to achieve my dreams and putting my trust in God.”
She has played centre for quite some time and it has been a great influence in her personal life. “This position requires speed, agility and smart decision-making, because it is easy to mess up the game as such a player controls the game. Netball is a holistic sport that requires being a quick reader and fast decision-maker. All those elements have played a vital role in my life especially in analysing situations to make wise decisions.”
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Chawane said she has big plans up her sleeve such as continuing with the SPAR Proteas and hopefully to get an opportunity to play for an overseas team.
