Welcome to Cup Town: Netball trophy lands in Cape as event draws near
FEEL IT, IT’S HERE: MEC Anroux Marais receiving the trophy
Excitement is running high as netball fever grips Cape Town with the arrival of the Netball World Cup trophy this week.
The Netball World Cup will be hosted on the African continent for the first time this year, with all games to take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from July 28 to August 6.
Provincial MEC for Cultural Affairs and Sport, Anroux Marais, received the trophy from Eastern Cape Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture MEC Nonceba Kontsiwe at the Tsitsikamma Khoisan Village (Bloukrans Bridge) on Monday.
Cape Town will host 16 of the qualifying teams.
Joining the Proteas from South Africa will be Australia, Barbados, England, Fiji, Jamaica, Malawi, New Zealand, Scotland, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, Wales and Zimbabwe.
The Proteas are currently ranked fifth in the world.
At the last Netball World Cup in Liverpool in 2019, South Africa finished fourth. The highest finish for the team was second place in 1995.
Marais said: “The Western Cape government is very happy and honoured to receive this trophy and to embark on a tour across the province.
“We have seen the importance of sport in connecting people from all walks of life and we hope to get the whole province excited and ready for the upcoming tournament.”
The trophy has been taken all around the province and today, the tour will commence at the Railton Sports Grounds in Swellendam at 8am, then move to Zolani Library in Ashton, Langeberg at 10.30am, Drakenstein Paarl East Spar in Paarl at 1.30pm, followed by the Malmesbury Spar and Score Centre in Malmesbury from 3.30pm.
Friday, the trophy will be at Vredenburg Main Road from 9am then travel to an activation at Weskus Mall at 10am.
The tour is scheduled to end on Friday in the Mother City at 3pm when it is handed over to the City of Cape Town.The Proteas squad is Bongiwe Msomi (captain); Karla Pretorius (vice-captain); Khanyisa Chawane; Izette Griesel; Phumza Maweni; Lenize Potgieter; Nicola Smith; Jeante Strydom; Nichole Taljaard; Elmere van der Berg; Shadine van der Merwe, and Ine-Mari Venter.
Reserves: Owethu Ngubane; Refiloe Nketsa and Lefebre Rademan.
For tickets, visit www.nwc2023.org.za.
All matches will be broadcast on SABC and SuperSport.