Cape Town - With just 80 days to go, several activations are set to take place across not only the Western Cape but throughout the country before the Vitality Netball World Cup 2023.
A media briefing by the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa, his deputy Nocawe Mafu, and Arts and Cultural MEC Anroux Marais, Netball SA president Cecilia Molokwane, and deputy mayor Eddie Andrews, was held at the Nelson Mandela Gateway, Waterfront, yesterday.
The Vitality Netball World Cup 2023 will for the first time be hosted on the African continent and in South Africa, with all games to take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from July 28 to August 6 this year.
Netball SA was announced as hosts for the 16th edition of the Netball World Cup in March 2019.
Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Nocawe Mafu said: “We want to believe that we are almost ready to host the 16 teams that are coming to Cape Town.
“Before that on May 25, the World Cup (trophy) is arriving in the country. It will be arriving in KwaZulu-Natal first and it will be touring the whole country. It will be arriving here in the Western Cape on July 12.”
Marais said that the province was busy with the roll-out of netball courts, as part of the legacy programme.
“We did 24 of the 48 already, and we will be complete with all of them at the end of the World Cup for the legacy and we are very excited.
“All the municipalities in our whole province in the Western Cape will have viewing points and fan parks so it's quite exciting,” Marais said.
“It’s also for a legacy, to have our communities have proper courts that's safe to play in, especially for our girls in the evenings because most of them can only do it in the evenings.”
Andrews said that everybody should feel a part of this event.
“It is an event that’s inclusive and we want you to participate, whether it be alongside the game where they are playing or it could be at one of the fan parks.
“Not just in the City of Cape Town but as we heard MEC Marais mention, across the Western Cape province.”
PICS | Department of Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa and Deputy Minister Nocawe Mafu, Cultural Affairs & Sport MEC Anroux Marais, CoCT Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews and Netball SA President Cecilia Molokwane at a media briefing about the upcoming Netball World Cup. pic.twitter.com/WBU8KUfzqQ
Molokwane affirmed that the South African team was ready for the World Cup.
“We will be announcing the (SA) team on the 19th of this month in Johannesburg before we leave on the 20th to go and collect the Netball World Cup trophy. We will be landing in the country (SA) on the 25th at King Shaka International Airport with the trophy.”
Molokwane said they’ve submitted 22 names to the Netball World Cup body.
“We might be the host but we are also invited to come and play in the World Cup, as is the norm of World Netball.”