INF president expects lots of improvement as NWYC starts
Naledi Lemogang | Friday July 7, 2017 15:02
Speaking during the INF congress yesterday in Gaborone, Rhone said they are excited to be hosted by Botswana Netball Association (BONA) and are looking forward to successful games.
“Netball continues to grow and develop at an extraordinary pace, and much has happened since the last congress held in Sydney in 2015, not least our spectacular and highly successful first ever Netball World Cup.
Therefore, this year’s games would expand the relationship between African Netball and INF,” Rhone said.
She said last year she visited Botswana to check on the process of the preparations and met with some sponsors, partners, local organising committee and government ministers all working hard to ensure resounding success of the games. Rhone added that this tournament would leave Botswana with the legacy of up skilled local force with experience to take on more world class events in the future since they managed to be the first lucky country in Africa to host this type of an event.
“The 2017 NWYC is the first international sporting event that Botswana has hosted, therefore is hugely significant for the country.
It is also the INF’s first world event to be held in Africa, and our first ever Netball World Youth Cup building on the World Youth Netball Championships and raising our elite youth game to new levels,” Rhone said.
The president is hoping that the games would be live streamed for the first time in the history of netball to ensure that all the netball fans around the world can follow their teams to see the games live as they happen.
She said this would be brought to a global netball audience through collaboration with their digital partner QTV, Tsena and Btv working together with INF communications, the LOC, and Anita Navin, who will be commentating.
She further said during the tournament, they would be running a series of workshops so that people can learn something from the Federation and adapt for their associations. “We have several topics on offer including governance, sponsorship and safe-guarding, all led by subject experts who understand our sport and what we need to achieve,” she said.
Meanwhile, the games will kick-off tomorrow with Sri Lanka taking on Scotland at 8am before New Zealand begin their title defence against Northern Ireland at 10am at UB Indoor sports centre.
Australia, 2013 silver medallists, will play Zimbabwe at the Ditshupo Hall. The hosts Botswana will begin their campaign against Malaysia at the UB arena at 8pm.