Following the exciting announcement by Discovery of a three-year sponsorship deal with Netball SA as the official wellness partner to the Spar Proteas and Vitality as the title partner of the Netball World Cup on Thursday, the South African netball team is more than ready to host the highly anticipated world tournament.
The netball national team were welcomed in style at the venue by the Mzansi Youth Choir.
Captain Bongiwe Msomi expressed her excitement of having a brand of Discovery’s magnitude coming on board, saying they are grateful to have been given the opportunity to host the world on African shores.
“In any of the biggest events in the sports industry there are lots of opportunities, so it is great to show out there that even South Africa, when they deserve to host the World Cup, will get that chance,” Msomi said.
“Through opportunities like this as a country we grow because you get a lot of support in terms of corporates coming on board … and it makes everyone see our sport differently.”
Msomi,35, went on to say that the global tournament was a great platform for the world to learn more about African cultures. “I guess it’s an African World Cup as much as we are hosting it as South Africans.
“It is just a great platform for Africans to be proud and say that we are capable – to show our diversity, our cultural events and beliefs for people to understand us even better.”
As part of the tournament preparations, head coach Norma Plummer’s side are coming back from a successful quad-series against Australia, England and New Zealand – which saw Australia beat New Zealand in the final, with England edging South Africa for the third spot.
Despite not winning the series, wing defender Refiloe Nketsa said she was proud of how they concluded the series.
“We will definitely show a bit more of that [fighting spirit] because we now know what to expect. It was our first tournament for the year after the break, so we had to come together and see how much work everyone has put in. So, now we have a base to work from,” said Nketsa.
South Africa are currently ranked number five in the world and will be looking to improve their position in the netball world rankings.
The Vitality Netball World Cup will be held at the International Convention Centre, Cape Town, from July 28 to August 6.
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