World Cup fever hits SA again

As the 2023 Netball World Cup draws closer, more and more events that display the tournament’s imminence continue to take place.

On Thursday, the tournament’s trophy landed on South African shores at the King Shaka International Airport in Durban to coincide with Africa Day.

The official handover of the Netball World Cup trophy, from World Netball to Netball South Africa, took place on Wednesday at South Africa House in London.

The High Commissioner, Jeremiah Nyamane Mamabolo, welcomed the World Netball President, Liz Nicholl CBE, as well as Netball South Africa’s President, Cecilia Molokwane, and CEO Blanche de la Guerre, among other delegates who attended the handover ceremony.

The global showpiece, taking place in Cape Town from the 28th of July to the 6th of August at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, will be the first ever to take place on the African continent.

Speaking on the importance of this, Molokwane said: “We said we wanted the trophy to land on the 25th May which is Africa Day because this is not a ‘South African’ tournament, it might be hosted in South Africa, but it is an African tournament.”

“I am sure this support will grow significantly as the Netball World Cup trophy heads to South Africa to start a six-week tour,” she added.

The trophy lands just days after South Africa head coach, Norma Plummer, named her 15-player squad to partake in the tournament.

The hosts are in Pool C alongside Jamaica, Wales and Sri Lanka. Article by Ntsako Mkhari