SA send Spar Proteas off to WC in style

South Africa gave a fitting World Cup send-off to the Spar Netball Proteas in Pretoria recently.

Netball South Africa and the team sponsors Spar organized a farewell dinner for the team, their families and loved ones at the Southern Sun Pretoria hotel with Gauteng Provincial MEC of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Molebatsi Bopape giving the key note address on behalf of government. Sponsor representatives and members of the media were also in attendance.

MEC Bopape said that Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula and his Deputy Gert Oosthuizen had asked her to pass on their best to the Spar Proteas and the MEC also gave the team well wishes from the Gauteng Premier, David Makhura.

A special message from the teams newly appointed Australian coach, Norma Plummer who could not attend the dinner was broadcast to the audience from Melbourne. Plummer said she was honored to have been appointed coach of the Spar Proteas.

We have a great bunch of athletes in the team and they are hungry to learn and deliver and I would like to thank Netball South Africa for honoring me with the coaching job.”

MEC Bopape said that each one of the Spar Proteas should be proud of what they achieved.

“Each one of you sitting here tonight with your families have achieved so much in making the World Cup team. You are an inspiration to so many thousands of hopeful youth out there, you should embrace that responsibility.”

The Spar Group Marketing Executive, Mike Prentice confirmed that his company would be paying an incentive to the team should they return to South Africa with a medal.

Spar will gladly pay a R500 000 bonus for any medal won in Sydney by South Africa but if the team bring back silver we will pay R750 000 and for gold we will pay R1 million. We wish the Spar Proteas all the very best, we believe in them and are proud to be associated with netball.”

Both Captain Maryka Holtzhausen and Assistant Captain Bongi Msomi told the audience that they were excited to travel to Sydney and felt well prepared for the World Cup.

Netball South Africa President closed the evening off with a fitting tribute to the Spar Proteas saying that her Executive had done all they could to give the best preparation to the team and were totally committed to their success and felt that the team spirit was special and the team would do not only themselves but the country proud.

The team jet off from Johannesburg on Sunday evening for New Zealand where they will play two tests against the Silver Ferns (New Zealand). The team would remain in New Zealand with coach Norma Plummer to prepare for the World Cup to be played from the 7 to 16 August in Sydney.