By Bev Mortimer
Huge excitement as the Netball World Cup trophy arrived in the Eastern Cape town of Humansdorp this morning and there were cheers and dancing by all the Super Spar store staff – as seen in these photos (and videos on our FB groups).
The Netball World Cup is currently on a South African tour to to showcase the Netball World Cup to everyone..
Preparations for the Vitality Netball World Cup 2023 tournament have started and the tournament trophy has just recently arrived to much excitement on South African soil – ahead of the highly-anticipated world event taking place from 28 July to 6 August at Cape Town International Convention Centre.
The Netball World Cup will bring together the world’s top 16 netball-playing nations. It will feature four African nations, namely South Africa, Malawi, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
Two South African giants, Spar and Telkom, are the official premium sponsors owing to their continuous support for netball over a long period, and the pair have joined hands with World Netball and Netball South Africa. Netball is the biggest women’s sport in South Africa and is played across the country, from remote villages to metropolitan areas.
Spar is the sponsor of the Spar Proteas, Spar International Challenge and the Spar National Championships, and Telkom is the sponsor of the Telkom Netball League (TNL) and the Telkom Netball Championships for schools. “We are proud of our association with these two companies and delighted they will be premier sponsors of Netball World Cup 2023,” NSA President and Board member, Cecilia Molokwane, says.
“Spar and Telkom’s domestic sponsorships has been crucial to the development of netball throughout South Africa, from grassroots level to our national team and we at NSA believe it is important for them to be part of the first Netball World Cup to be played in Africa,” Molokwane says.
Max Oliva, CEO Spar Southern Africa, says Spar has sponsored national and international competitions for more than 20 years and regards netball as its flagship sponsorship. “We are extremely proud of the Spar Proteas, who have gone from strength to strength. We are also proud of our association with the Spar National Championships, which provide opportunities for young women from around South Africa. We are extremely excited to be part of NWC2023 as our ongoing support to netball,” Oliva added.
Spar Proteas captain, Bongiwe Msomi, says: “A huge thank you to companies like Spar and Telkom for being the title sponsors. Both these brands have been of great assistance in the development of Netball in our country.” He adds it is great for them to be involved in the World Cup, the biggest event for Netball South Africa on our home soil.
Telkom through the Telkom Netball League and Telkom Netball Championship has provided the perfect launchpad for young players to showcase their skills and talents, Telkom Chief Marketing Officer Gugu Mthembu, says. “Through our partnership with with the Netball World Cup we are able to make netball more accessible for local talent to be transformed into international superstars.”
Speaking on the excitement of the trophy tour, Molokwane continues: “Let it be an African spectacle, showcasing our culture and our uniqueness as South Africa because we are a rainbow nation and to me showing that Africa can do it and women can do it is the most important thing. We want to leave a legacy. Hosting the Netball World Cup is a first for Africa, so history will be made right here on home soil and right on our doorstep.”
Chairperson of World Cup Board, Patience Shikwambana, says: “What we will see for across the length and breadth of our land is the reality that the Vitality Netball World Cup 2023 is finally arriving here. “It’s a huge step forward for women’s sport in South Africa and we encourage the public to go out and be part of this proud countrywide tour.”
The Netball World Cup Trophy Tour will start in KwaZulu-Natal, before moving to Gauteng, and then stopping off in Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West, Free State, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, before reaching its final destination in the Western Cape.
“We feel that as it gathers momentum around the country, it will also ramp up interest in the upcoming tournament itself. There has already been overwhelming support for the event, and with the 16 teams taking part also beginning to announce their final squads we can sense the shift in momentum.
The dates for the Trophy Tour are as follows:
25-29 May: KwaZulu-Natal
30 May – 3 June: Gauteng
4-8 June: Mpumalanga
9-13 June: Limpopo
14-18 June: Free State
19-23 June: North West
24-28 June: Northern Cape
29 June – 3 July: Eastern Cape
4-12 July: Western Cape
See videos of Netball World Cup bus arriving at SuperSpar Humansdorp https://www.facebook.com/groups/stfrancischronicle
St Francis Chronicle 