As the curtain comes down on what has been a scintillating 2024 netball calendar, this year’s edition of the Spar National Championships promises to be a swashbuckling adventure in Johannesburg.
The annual tournament, which is slated for December 1-7 at the Ellis Park netball courts, is Netball South Africa’s (NSA) flagship’s event that attracts the crème de la crème of the game.
This year’s tournament comes against the backdrop of the Spar Challenge and Varsity Netball championships.
Inarguably NSA’s biggest event, this inter-provincial event is traditionally played in August to coincide with Women’s Month and National Women’s Day.
However, this year’s edition had to be postponed due to the Paris Olympic Games.
NSA says it estimates a capacity crowd to descend on the state-of-the-art Ellis Park
arena to watch 1,800 players from 52 districts coming from all nine provinces.
The national Under-21 side, affectionately known as the Spar Baby Proteas, are also confirmed to compete in the Senior A Section of the championships.
The Baby Proteas will use this event as preparations for the much-anticipated 2025 Netball World Youth Cup to be played in the British overseas territories of Gibraltar.
The national championships are not only seen as the biggest stages where youngsters come to shine but also as the theatre of the dreams where star players are on display.
A new generation of stars has emerged through the ranks in this inter-provincial event, adding a sense of optimism to South Africa’s preparations for the upcoming international tournaments.
It has been a fruitful campaign for new stars, marking the first time in several seasons that so many rookies have made such a forceful impact.
In a campaign that has been markedly open, with no side able to dominate, the list of
talented young players come from a wide spectrum of clubs.
NSA President Cecilia Molokwane said the emergence of so many teams is a testament that netball continues to grow, especially in schools where there is mass participation.
She reckons that tournaments like the Spar Championships have a positive impact on the game’s growth from grassroots levels.
“It goes without saying that the Spar National Championships play a significant role for NSA’s development agenda.
“This tournament has allowed us over the years to identify players to play for the junior national teams right up to the senior level.
“As it happens annually, it has always been a hunting ground for selectors and a perfect platform for players to also showcase their talents,” she said.
Molokwane said there are plenty of rising stars who will make this year’s competition a thrilling affair.
Youthful confidence and ebullience have become a common denominator, and now they are the standard bearers of a young brigade keen on changing the once-mediocre style of play.
Molokwane said she was thrilled that the competition will be staged at a magnificent venue.
Ellis Park is one of the top netball venues in the continent, boasting 12 hard courts, including a stadium court seating 3 000 spectators.
For this week-long event, at least 10 netball courts will enable NSA to run this tournament efficiently.
One of these courts is a stadium where spectators will have the comfort of seating and cover from the summer sun.
With the country in the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, Molokwane said NSA will use the tournament to show its commitment to the battle against gender-based violence and femicide. (GBVF)
She said the momentum of this interprovincial will be the ideal platform to create awareness among the participants and spectators about the fight against GBV.
Meanwhile, the Spar Proteas senior national team will jet off to Namibia on Friday for the Netball Africa Nation Cup in Swakopmund.
The tournament, which is scheduled for December 9-14, is expected to attract 10 African countries in both the men and women categories.
