Amanzimtoti Netball Club aims to empower female athletes
With the club's newly founded affiliation with Amanzimtoti Sports Centre, these courts will now be relaid to accommodate both netball and tennis.
THE newly established Amanzimtoti Netball Club aims to make a meaningful impact in the community through the promotion and development of netball.
After seeing that there were not a lot of sports available for female athletes, Ruan Engelbrecht, a former provincial player turned coach, got the ball rolling on writing a proposal to the Amanzimtoti Sports Centre, which has since been approved.
Also read: Support Amanzimtoti SPCA’s Christmas Market
Engelbrecht, now chairperson of the club, said, “Based on our findings, Amanzimtoti has about eight schools and has a predominantly female population. With the sports centre mostly dominated by male sports, it leaves female athletes limited in opportunities to participate. With the Netball World Cup that took place this year in Cape Town (July 28 – August 6), there was a unique opportunity to establish a club in the area.”
He said the current state of the courts is not functional as it has stood empty and dilapidated over the years.
“With our newly founded involvement and affiliation with Amanzimtoti Sports Centre, these courts will now be relaid to accommodate both netball and tennis. Our goal is to provide a facility for aspiring netball athletes to refine their skills and compete at various levels. We also plan to offer development clinics, coaching courts and umpire courses. Our first focus will be on upgrading and maintaining our newly occupied premises,” said Engelbrecht.
To get the courts up and running, the club needs to resurface the courts to ensure the safety and optimal performance of players; install fencing around the premises to enhance security; renovate the change rooms; build a storeroom, and install lighting to allow athletes to practise during their evening training session and to add to security measures. Engelbrecht said this amounts to about R597 465.
Also read: Promoting nature conservation through sport in Toti
“However, to achieve this, we are calling on our community and surrounding areas to help us. Consider sponsoring or donating towards this community development project as it will fulfil a social need in the area, offer great sporting activities for athletes, develop junior players, create an opportunity for netball to grow in Amanzimtoti, and it will become a vibrant hive of activity and player development, both in netball and tennis,” he said.
The Amanzimtoti Netball Club is aiming to officially launch in March next year.
For more information, to make a donation or to find out how you can help, contact amanzimtoti.netballclub@gmail.com.
DID YOU KNOW?
Click on the words highlighted in red to read more on this and related topics. To receive news links via WhatsApp or Telegram, send an invite to 061 694 6047.
Do you have more information pertaining to this story? Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom at 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist.
(Comments posted on this issue may be used for publication in the Sun)
