West Rand Netball goes international

West Rand Netball was proudly represented at the Fast5 Netball World Series, held on November 9 and 10 in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Netball South Africa (NSA) announced its men’s and women’s teams for the World Series, and two talented players from West Rand Netball, William Lethoko and Itumeleng Mahanoe, were included in the men’s squad.

Both players have previously made an impact on the courts in the SPAR Male Championships, where they represented West Rand Netball, as well as in local leagues.

Both Lethoko and Mahanoe play for the Brothers Netball Club situated in Mohlakeng and represent West Rand Netball Provincially for netball tournaments. The dynamic duo are also graded umpires with D2 and D12 netball, which umpires for Gauteng West School tournaments and Action Netball tournaments at Hillfox Action Sports.

NSA director of selections Ivy Khumalo expressed confidence in the selected players, citing a balanced blend of youth and experience.

“We took a relatively young team last year and saw how other teams competed. We believed a mix of maturity and experience will yield better results,” Khumalo explained.

West Rand Netball vice chairperson Sonika Gilman applauded the two for their hard work and consistency.

“These two players are a true reflection of how serious and passionate our club is about netball. They represented us well and played their hearts out,” Gilman added.

After a tough start, losing 27–42 to the reigning champions Australia, the team nearly qualified for the playoffs against New Zealand, where it was a close call between the two teams. In the final quarter, New Zealand qualified for the finals with a 32–31 win against South Africa.

Despite the loss, Lethoko received Player of the Match for his outstanding performance.