‘Nothing wrong with men playing netball’: Silo

BOPHELONG.- Blue Moon Netball Club Coach, Mpumelelo Silo is on a mission to change the stereotyped mentality that netball is only for female players.

Silo’s all male netball team competed against their female counterparts in a field exercise at the Boipatong Stadium over the weekend, where speaking to Sedibeng Ster Sport, he said that his goal is to attract more men to the high energy game of netball. His male netball team was the centre of discussion with many surprised that they could match their female opponents’ pound for pound. However, Silo said that it is not easy to convince male players to play netball because they are of the opinion that this is female sport and that they will become a ‘laughing stock’ in the community.
“I was a netball player myself and there is nothing wrong with being a male and playing netball. I really enjoyed my playing days and I was one of the few males who played netball. Now it is much better because more men show interest in playing netball. It was not easy at the beginning to convince them to play netball,” he said.
Silo said starting from March his team will be playing in a male netball league only. Apart from male netball team, Silo said they also have female divisions. He said that sometimes he mixes the teams to play together. Sedibeng Ster Sport was impressed by the display of this Blue Moon Male Netball Team using the advantage of their physical strength against their opponents.