Bongi Msomi isp

her netball squad’s

performance but says

muchtobedonetog

sportinMzansi BYZAM

DARREN

STEWART,

GALLO

IMAGES/GETTY

IMAGES,

GALLO

IMAGES/REG

CALDECOTT,

FACEBOOK/BMNETBALL

A

S A young girl growin

up in KwaZulu-Nat

she wasn’t allowed

wear pants aroundh

strict dad and takin

part in sport wasdi

couraged by hertrad

tional family – agir

place was in the home doing chores.

But how times have changed.Bon

Msomi (31) is now a celebrated sport

woman and, as captain of the SouthA

rican national netball team thatpe

formed so spectacularly at the rece

Netball World Cup, is a national hero.

The Spar Proteas made it to thesem

finals of the tournament for the firsttim

since 1995, narrowly losing 53-55 toAu

tralia, one of the best teams in the worl

They’re now the fourth ranked team

the world and the best in Africa– an

more glory came when Karla Pretori

(29), South Africa’s vice-captain,w

named player of the tournament,whi

was held in Liverpool in the UK.

“I feel honoured to have been nam

the best player of the World Cup,”Kar

said afterwards. “You’re only as good

those around you and the team did

well at this World Cup. Even thoughw

didn’t return home with a medalw

all put our hearts and souls intoeac

and every game and can

hold our heads high.”

Bongi is immensely

proud of her team of

heroines, who have now

set their sights on the

2023 World Cup, which

will be played in South Africa.

“Being regarded as national hero

means a lot to each of us,” she says.“Su

opportunities don’t come alongeve

day.”

‘We

give

youn

72 | 15 AUGUST 2019 http://www.drum.co.za

proudof

recent

sthere’s

grow the

MACHUTSHELA

ng

tal

to

her

ng

is-

di-

rl’s

ngi

ts-

Af-

er-

nt

mi-

me

us-

ld.

in

nd

us

was

ch

ed

rla

as

so

we

we

ch

es

ch

ery

playto

hopeto

nggirls’

T WASby chance that

Bongi’s athletictalents

were unleashed. She

admitssheneverhad

muchinterestinnet-

ball,oranysportfor

thatmatter.

“I guessthat’sbecausemy

momanddadneverbe-

lievedinsportasa career.

My parentsexpectedgirls

tobehavein

acertainway

anddo cer-

tain chores.

We weren’t

evenallowed

to wearpants,

especiallywhenmyfather

wasaround. Theydiscour-

agedusfromdoingsport.”

ThenetballcoachatBongi’s

highschool, Luthayi Secondary