Netball World Cup trophy visits Mpumalanga

The most prestigious event in women’s sports, the Vitality Netball World Cup, is coming to African soil for the first time in its history.

With only 50 more days until the first centre pass is received in Cape Town on July 28, Netball South Africa is treating the country to a trophy tour, aiming to bring netball back to the community.

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Besides it being probably one of the most coveted trophies in women’s sports, what made the arrival of the trophy to South Africa even more special, was that it was wheeled down to KwaZulu-Natal on May 25, which is known as Africa Day. If this doesn’t signify that it is indeed time for Africa to shine on the world’s netball stage, what will?

Netball South Africa’s president, Cecilia Molokwane, travelled with the trophy from Gauteng to Mpumalanga on Sunday, when they were received by a lively crowd at the KMI Airport.

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Molokwane and other dignitaries, including the deputy minister for sports, arts, culture and recreation, Nocawe Mafu, a member of the mayoral committee of the executive mayor of the City of Mbombela, Khanyi Mhlanga, the president of the Mpumalanga Sports Confederation, Linda Zwane, Thandi Shongwe, MEC for the Mpumalanga Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation, the director for sports, recreation and school sports in the department, Butini Ngoma, as well as the Mpumalanga Netball President, Christel van Wettens, attended the welcoming ceremony.

Before the event, Shongwe said the province looks forward to playing host to the trophy from June 4 to 8. “We are excited to have the trophy taken to all corners of the province to inspire locals to rally behind the national team and players,” she said.

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The provincial team currently competing in the 2023 Telkom Netball League, the Mpumalanga Sunbirds, also formed part of the festivities.

The Sunbirds’ head coach, Thembisile Mdluli, also shared her thoughts on the Mpumalanga leg of the trophy tour.

“Netball is played in every town and rural area, but most of the time events like these only include the bigger towns. For the trophy to tour to the rural areas is a dream come true for that young netball player who will not get the opportunity to go to Cape Town for the World Cup, let alone maybe be able to watch it on television. The trophy is giving us hope as a netball family,” she said.

The trophy’s Mpumalanga leg concluded in Hoedspruit today, where it will be handed over to Limpopo.

The tour will go on for about 32 more days until its conclusion in the mother city, Cape Town, just before the start of the World Cup on July 12.