Spar Proteas coach delighted with standard of play
"There are definitely stars of the future."
Spar National Netball coach Elize Kotze was delighted with the standard of play at the national championships, which ended in Cape Town on Saturday, with Gauteng North beating Dr Kenneth Kaunda (North West South) 63-37 in the final.
“It has been a fantastic tournament and I was very pleased to see the performance of senior players and also to see how many young players are coming through,” Kotze said.
She said there were 11 months left before the world championships in Sydney next year, and the squad announced after the tournament gave her plenty to work with as she prepared for the next major challenge.
“Several former Proteas, like Amanda Mynhardt, Vanes-Mari du Toit and Lindie Lombard, who didn’t go to the Commonwealth Games for various reasons, showed that they are still hungry for play for the Proteas, and I am delighted that they are back in the squad.
“Amanda and Vanes-Mari worked brilliantly together in the final to control Chante Steyn, who is a solid presence in the circle, and I can see them doing that against a team like Jamaica, who play a very physical form of netball.”
Kotze said she wanted to take the 12 best players in South Africa to the World Cup, and there was plenty of depth in all positions, so she had room to mix and match.
“When we go to Sydney, I need to know that the players on the bench are as strong as the seven players on the court,” she said.
She had special praise for some of the younger players, such as Kifiloe Tsotetsi, the goalkeeper from Kenneth Kaunda, 19-year-old Lenize Potgieter, the Gauteng North goalshooter, and the two young Gauteng North centre court players, Faith Mantjiu and Tshina Mdau.
“They are all very exciting players, and they are definitely stars of the future,” said Kotze.
The 31-member squad announced after the tournament will attend several training camps over the next few months, before being reduced to a squad of 15 next year.
“They will all be given training programmes, and the players who work the hardest will be the ones who will make the cut,” she said.
