By KOPANO MONAHENG
Just like our national soccer teams, Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana, the dream of seeing South African players compete on the global stage was once just a dream.
But with soccer development programmes being taken to communities and schools, things have changed. Today, Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana are not only qualifying for major tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup and continental competitions, but they are also competing against some of the best teams in the world.
The same can happen with netball. These school netball development games might not look like much to some people today, but watch this space. One day, some of these young girls could be representing Mzansi at the Olympics, the Netball World Cup and major continental competitions.
PEP deserves credit for continuing to invest in the development of netball when not many others were willing to put money into the sport. The retailer has stayed committed to empowering young girls and helping South African netball grow.
Many Mzansi people are crazy about soccer and rugby, and there is nothing wrong with that. But don’t sleep on netball.
Watch this space. With more investment and development at grassroots level, we could soon see more South Africans filling up the stands and switching on their TVs to watch netball, just like they do with other major sports.
PEP is working around the clock to ensure that Mzansi netball is recognised once again. PEP Mini Netball Festival was recently held at Rustdene Sports Grounds in Beaufort West.
The festival not only gave these young players the opportunity to take part in interactive activities and friendly matches, but they made sure that their skills are developed.
As Women’s Month continues, the festival highlighted the importance of creating opportunities for young girls to grow through sport, helping them develop confidence, teamwork and leadership from an early age.
