Star Proteas netball players inspire Kokstad youth for DStv Schools Netball Challenge
Star Proteas netball duo Refiloe 'Fifi' Nketsa and Owethu 'Sammy' Ngubane teamed up with former skipper Bongi Msomi to give kids from two Kokstad schools a fighting chance in the coming DStv Schools Netball Challenge.
The pupils from Shaya Moya Secondary and Thembalethu Secondary will represent KwaZulu-Natal at the national under-19 tournament at Hoerskool Dr EG Jansen in Johannesburg on July 26 and 27.
They were inspired by the Puma ambassadors' stories of their rise to the top from similarly impoverished backgrounds.
They were then taken through their paces in drills and other training exercises on a bitterly cold Monday morning in the small town in the shadow of Mount Currie, southern KZN.
For Nketsa, in particular, the clinic represented a full-circle moment as she went to school at Shaya Moya after moving to Kokstad from nearby Matatiele.
'It's such a humbling experience,' said the centre and wing defence for the national team and Free State Crinums in the Telkom Netball League.
'You can just see how their faces light up when they hear a Fifi, Bongi and Sammy being mentioned. Just to see how much they look up to us is humbling and brings you down to earth.
'It actually reminds you that you're not doing this for yourself, you're performing for them to believe that they are capable of getting to the very same level we're at, and that it's not impossible thing. That it's okay and valid for them to dream as big or bigger than we have already because they are the ones to bring about change.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
TimesLIVE
3 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Proteas not fazed by Walter's insider knowledge, says George Linde
When the Proteas face New Zealand at the Harare Sports Club in their second match of the Tri-Nation Series on Wednesday (1pm), the familiar face of Rob Walter will be in the opposing dugout. Walter coached the Proteas white-ball team for two years until April and there is no doubt he will know the tactical strengths and weaknesses of most of the players, having worked with them in the national set-up and watched them on the domestic circuit. The Proteas beat Zimbabwe by five wickets in their opening game on Monday and a win against the Black Caps will put them in the driver's seat for the rest of the series. Proteas spinning-all-rounder George Linde, who picked up three wickets for 10 runs in the Zimbabwe game, said on Tuesday they are not too concerned about Walter having inside intel. 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞 ⚡ There's always action when he has ball in hand 😮💨🇿🇦 #SAvZIM | #SSCricket — SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) July 14, 2025 He said the Proteas contain fresh faces and have a few surprises in their bag of tricks. 'It is probably not the A-side or the proper Proteas side,' he said. 'Most of the guys are resting after the Test championship. 'There are guys who want to do well and make their mark in the team. Everyone plays differently now than they did months back.' Like the Proteas, the Black Caps are not at full capacity, missing top batter Kane Williamson and quick bowlers Lockie Ferguson and Kyle Jamieson. There is also the chance they will be missing Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra for the game on Wednesday as they have joined the squad late after appearances in the Major League Cricket competition. Linde said the remaining players in the Black Caps squad, who last played the white-ball format in April, are going to put up a decent fight. Among those will be South African-born batter Devon Conway, who played in the SA20 for the Joburg Super Kings. 'If you look at their squad, they have played a lot of cricket. Most of their guys have been involved in county cricket, they have played in America and the Indian Premier League. 'So I think they've played quite a bit of cricket — and so did we, as well. So it's obviously going to be a good game and hopefully we'll go one ahead of them,' Linde said. The Proteas have won four of the last five games between the two sides, but remarkably they have not played each other in T20s since 2017.
The Herald
4 hours ago
- The Herald
Proteas not fazed by Walter's insider knowledge — Linde
Proteas spinning-all-rounder George Linde, who picked up three wickets for 10 runs in the Zimbabwe game, said on Tuesday they were not too concerned about Walter having inside intel. He said the Proteas contained fresh faces, which made the team somewhat incognito and they had a few surprises in their bag of tricks. . 'It is probably not the A side or the proper Proteas side,' he said. 'Most of the guys are resting after the Test championship. 'There are guys who want to do well and make their mark in the team. 'Everyone plays differently now than they did months back.' Like the Proteas, the Black Caps are not at full capacity, missing top batter Kane Williamson and quick bowlers Lockie Ferguson and Kyle Jamieson. There is also the chance they will be missing Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra for the game on Wednesday as they have joined the squad late after appearances in the Major League Cricket competition. Linde said the remaining players in the Black Caps squad, who last played the white-ball format in April, were going to put up a decent fight. Among those will be SA-born batter Devon Conway, who played in the SA20 for the Joburg Super Kings. 'If you look at their squad, they have played a lot of cricket. 'Most of their guys have been involved in county cricket, they have played in America and the Indian Premier League [IPL]. 'So, I think they've played quite a bit of cricket, and so did we as well. So, it's obviously going to be a good game and hopefully we'll go one ahead of them,' Linde said. The Proteas have won four of the last five games between the two sides, but remarkably they have not played each other in T20s since 2017.
IOL News
6 hours ago
- IOL News
Shukri Conrad's backing gives George Linde the freedom to push for a Proteas T20 World Cup spot
IN his first engagement with the media since being appointed Proteas all-format coach, Shukri Conrad made it clear that George Linde is one of three frontline spinners as they build for the T20 World Cup in India next year. Alongside Linde, there is 23-year-old leg-spinner Nqaba Peter and slow left-arm orthodox Senuran Muthusamy, with the trio being given opportunities to stake a claim for a spot in the full-strength Proteas side that will travel to India next year. Linde and Peter started well in the ongoing Tri-Series in Harare as they picked up four wickets between them, helping the Proteas seal a five-wicket victory over hosts Zimbabwe on Monday. Having been backed by Conrad, Linde highlighted that he now plays with freedom. "Look, we (with Conrad) had a good conversation a month or two ago. It was positive, and he did say he wants me to be part of this T20 squad, and then we'll take things from there. I told him, I want to play for South Africa, I want to make myself available, and I want to give myself the best chance to play for South Africa," Linde said on Tuesday. "(Being backed by Conrad) means a lot. It gives you a little bit more confidence. You can play with a little bit more freedom. But I still don't really think too far ahead. I'm just trying to focus on the process now and take it game by game. Look, if I don't do well (in Harare) and Shuks decides no, I'm not the guy for him, then so be it. "I'm just trying to do my best, and if I do well and I'm on that plane to the World Cup, happy days. It's always been a dream of mine to represent South Africa in the World Cup."
