Trophies aplenty for Yusuf Dadoo netball team

The netball team from Dr Yusuf Dadoo Hospital recently celebrated their good run of form and accomplishments on the court with a special lunch.

Puseletso Madibikame from the hospital said to show their appreciation for the team who excelled on local and provincial levels, the team received a special lunch on August 4.

Team spokesperson Reginah Duiker further explained to all those in attendance, the long and successful road the team has been on.

She said the team started in 2014 with only five members and has since grown to 10 members. They then joined the Gauteng Provincial Sports League (GPSL) in 2015 but there, it was not always easy for them to perform. This was because they lacked the basic resources and were often denied opportunities to train and attend matches. When they felt the urge to quit, it was the love of the game that kept them going.

Their dedication eventually bore fruits in 2017 when they were allowed to play in the West Rand and GPSL.

“Despite their ages, these ladies did not disappoint,” boasted Duiker.

She added one memory that stands out for her was when the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union needed players to represent Gauteng in Durban. The criteria was to select one player from each winning team and in the end, four of their members were chosen.

She singled out a few of the women and said Dipuo Mathebula (53), Rebecca Ramatlhape (51), Innocentia Sepotokele (48), Nonzima Modikwane (47), Ann Lelake (45), and herself (44) had been the pillars of strength for the team over the years.

In 2017, the team won the GPSL tournament and they received a trophy for the health life tournament. Then in September 2018, they won one another GPSL tournament. In 2021, they won the Masters Tournament and then this year won the GPSL again.

“You are the real pillars of this institution,” said nursing service manager Dina Ngwenya, while handing out the trophies to the team.