South African Netball president Cecilia Molokwane has called on the country to support the Netball World Cup in Cape Town from July 28.
She was speaking at the King Shaka International Airport in Durban during the arrival of the Netball World Cup trophy, on Thursday.
The trophy will tour South Africa starting in KwaZulu-Natal, as part of efforts to build interest in the Netball World Cup.
The tournament is being held on African soil for the first time.
Molokwane is optimistic that hosting the tournament will improve support for the sport.
“It’s up to us and other South Africans to support the Spar Proteas and to support the African teams that are playing, I mean this trophy after 60 years, it’s for the first time that it ascends on the shore of African soil and most importantly in South Africa where in KZN.”
The KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube has also called on municipalities to support the development of Netball by providing relevant facilities.
“We encourage municipalities, we encourage the schools, the Department of Education, but also the government department themselves, as well as the private sector, that let us invest in the girl child. Let us invest in the girl child by ensuring that they are facilities for Netball in all our areas. Netball by its nature is a sport that unites, a sport that rekindles a love for one another, that comradeship. So we believe that it shouldn’t also be only the soccer grounds that is a prioritised and nothing for the netball.”
VIDEO: Netball World Cup trophy arrived in Durban on Thursday:
