Rising Nkobongo netball star selected for SA team

Once a promising basketball player, Lucky Mokoena of Nkobongo switched to netball and quickly proved he is good at it.

So much so that he has been selected for the South African team jetting off to Jamaica in August for a tri-nations tournament.

He said he quickly got to grips with the different skills set posed by netball, and his rapid rise in the ranks soon caught the provincial selectors’ attention.

And now he is in the national team, an opportunity he says he will always cherish.

Lucky admits he faced some challenges when he first started playing netball.

“Many guys in my township, Nkobongo, began doubting my manhood, some even suggesting I’m gay for playing a girly sport.

“I did not pay much attention to all that because I know who I am, certainly not gay. Netball has never been meant for a specific gender. I love the sport and I’m determined to go far with it,” said the father of two.

Lucky said apart from achieving on the playing court, he also sees himself coaching young kids in the future.

He has already completed a coaching course and currently holds a level 2 certificate. He also umpires for local games and schools.

The part-time lifeguard said his current mission is to find a sponsor because as much as he enjoys sport, it does not come cheap.

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