Cheludo secures two-year deal with Australian club
Kabelo Boranabi | Friday September 13, 2019 13:26
David left for Australia in June for a three-month trial with Woods Panthers and after impressive performances, she earned a pay-as-you-play contract that start in January 2020, a first for a local player. She played 12 times for the Panthers, securing a place 10 times in the senior team while turning up twice for the reserve team.
“I have signed a two-year contract, I will be leaving in January for the preseason. I am so happy, I feel as a player I have grown a lot during the three months I spent there,” David told Mmegi Sport. “I see growth in both my tactical awareness and mental strength. I feel that I did well to earn that contract so I just have to keep on working harder for the next season.”
David has returned home as she waits to join her teammates for the preseason training in January. She is currently training with her former side, TASC.
However, David said she still has a long way to go in becoming an elite netball player. “There is more work to do. The league I play in is the feeder league to the biggest netball league in the country.
So it is my dream to play in one of the biggest leagues in the world one day. At the moment, chances are still slim, I am just glad to have signed a new contract hopefully this is a step in the right direction. There may have been interest from other teams that I do not know of, I am just happy to be with the Woods Panthers at the moment,” she said.
The 21-year-old broke into the international netball scene as part of the Under-21 side dubbed ‘Dinaletsana’ that finished 10th at the 2017 Netball World Youth Cup held in Gaborone.
David’s exploits at the World Cup did not go unnoticed as she and two other players, Kgomotso Matibini and Fatima Dinoh were invited for trials by several Australian teams but due to financial constraints the moves fell through.
However, late last year, Panthers reignited their interest in the Sebina-born goal shooter.
David joins two local netball players in Sarona Hans and Winnie Hill, who are playing college netball in Australia.