St Dunstan’s College wing defence Deborah Ighosejewe believes the ongoing Telkom Netball National Championships are another important stepping stone towards achieving her dream of one day wearing the green and gold of the SPAR Proteas.

Representing Ekurhuleni U18B netball team in the tournament held at Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen, Ighosejewe is no stranger to the national stage, having previously represented Gauteng.

However, she views this year’s tournament as another valuable opportunity to test herself against the country’s best young talent while continuing her development.

The talented defender, who was named best defender at last year’s St Dunstan’s College Easter Sports Festival, said the journey over the past few months had been rewarding despite the hard work required.

“It’s just been a great opportunity because it exposes me to different opportunities,” said Ighosejewe.

“At tournaments like these you can be selected for the Region 5 squad, so I’m really grateful to be here. We’ve been training a lot and working hard as a team, so it’s nice to see all that preparation come together.”

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Although she has experienced representative netball before, she says every tournament presents fresh lessons.

“It feels good. It’s not my first time because I played for Gauteng last year, but doing it again is really eye-opening because you experience different playing styles.”

With national selectors watching closely, Ighosejewe knows every performance could bring her one step closer to her long-term ambitions.

“Coming to national tournaments is preparing me because the players I’m competing against today could be my teammates one day, or even my competition at a higher level.”

After a season she admits has not matched the standards she set last year, the St Dunstan’s learner has set herself a personal challenge.

“My goal for this tournament is to better myself as a player. Compared to last year, I haven’t had my best season, so I just want to remind myself that I’m still the player who achieved all those things last year, if not an even better player.”

Comfortable at wing defence, goal defence and goalkeeper, Ighosejewe draws inspiration from SPAR Proteas defender Tarlé Mathe, as well as England Roses star Funmi Fadoju and Jamaica international Latanya Wilson.

“I admire the way Tarlé controls and reads the game. Sometimes I see similarities in my own playing style, so it’s inspiring to watch someone like her performing at the highest level.”

Looking ahead, Ighosejewe hopes to study chemical engineering at university while continuing her netball journey through Varsity Netball and the Telkom Netball League before ultimately earning a place in the SPAR Baby Proteas and, one day, the senior SPAR Proteas squad.

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