The Sporting Chance Street Netball Regional Finals concluded yesterday and the winners will be battling it out in the finals just before the start of the Netball World Cup which will take place in Cape Town on July 28.
The Street Netball regional matches took place simultaneously on Youth Day, across the Cape communities. The winning teams which will be going to the finals to be played on July 29 in the Netball World Cup Fan Park are Grassy Park, Betswood and Perival; Khayelitsha, Strikers and Trevor Stars; Langa, Sri Lanka and Scotland; Mfuleni, Parliament Street PS and Bardale; Ocean View, South Africa and Trinidad.
This tournament was first launched eight weeks ago and saw 768 girls from 16 teams in Cape Town’s formerly disadvantaged communities play on street netball courts, in a series of robin matches.
The event, organised by Sporting Chance in partnership with the City of Cape Town, marks the countdown before the Netball World Cup.
Brad Bing from Sporting Chance said the Street Netball Regional Finals were a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the youth of South Africa and showcase their netball skills.
“It was a fitting way to mark Youth Day, and we are thrilled with how well it went – the weather also came to the party. It was fantastic to see councillor JP Smith not only attend, but also get actively involved, showcasing the city’s commitment to the upliftment of our youth,” said Bing.
The Street Netball initiative has also seen all of the girls being given essential life skills training by supporting partner Emthonjeni Counselling and Training. Topics covered over the weeks have included self-esteem, decision-making, surviving or thriving, leadership, dreaming big, managing stress and anxiety, sexual and reproductive health, hygiene, socio-economic empowerment, gender-based violence and keeping girls at school.
“In addition to this, SouthAfrican netball icon Phumza Maweni and the Phumza Maweni Foundation, have been assisting to identify netball players that display exceptional talent and flair and will mentor and monitor their netball progress going forward,” said Bing.
He said the event gave them a perfect opportunity to market netball in these communities and to instil a love of the game. He said part of this initiative was to bring change into the girls’ lives through netball.
“Tickets for the Netball World Cup will probably be expensive, and many of these kids come from disadvantaged backgrounds. So we want them to experience the World Cup and to feel like they are part of it while they are unable to attend,” said Bing.