New netball president's delayed arrival
Calistus Kolantsho | Saturday April 27, 2024 06:00
Mpudi, the new netball leader, is now in office after the ouster of Malebo Raditladi-Nkgakile over the weekend.
Mpudi said being voted into office feels good but argues netballers missed a great opportunity to utilise her skills when she was still "youthful and energetic".
Previously, Mpudi contested the netball elections against Raditladi-Nkgakile and lost. “I cannot reveal my age but just know that I am a sportswoman who loves sport. If they had elected me before, netball would be comfortable in tier one, and not tier two where we are, even threatened to be dropped lower. But I will unleash all the remaining energy I have to lift it,” she said.
Mpudi said there are many immediate burning issues that she is planning to do; all it takes is to prioritise them. She said what quickly comes to her mind is grassroots development and nurturing talent. “The big questions are, does governance promote that now? Are there supporting structures? Is the atmosphere conducive to foster that? What about netball cultural set-up?” Mpudi wondered. In a positive development for the sport, last week, three netball players left for Singapore to ply their trade in the Deloitte Super League for a month.
Hilda Binang (Goal Attack: GA) and Goal Shooter (GS) will play for Mission Manners; Fatima Dino (Goal Keeper: GK) and Goal Defence (GD) is at Llabten Club while Keletso Gontho is part of the Sneakers Club. The three players were selected to join the Deloitte Super League after the Six Nations Cup held in Singapore last year. Binang played in the Singapore netball league in 2014, 2015, and 2016. “This opportunity means a lot to me. It is not everyone who gets a chance to play outside the country so many times. I am forever grateful,” she said.
For her part, Dino said she was excited about the opportunity, and it is the beginning of greater things for her netball career. When asked about the ankle injury that has been troubling her, Dino said she is now injury-free. The trio has been part of the national team since 2017, when they made their names as part of the Under-21 team, Dinaletsana. They also played a crucial role during the Africa Netball Cup hosted at the University of Botswana last year.