Tswelopele Secondary School hope to go all the way to the top of the DStv Schools Netball Challenge (DSNC), powered by Bestmed Medical Scheme, podium.
The Tembisa based school qualified for day two of the Gauteng DSNC provincial finals.
Tswelopele were one of 26 schools competing in the DSNC provincial finals and vying for a spot in the national finals of the Challenge set for 23 to 25 July at Hoërskool Dr E.G. Jansen in Boksburg.
The DSNC is now in its sixth edition having been launched in 2021 with the aim of unearthing future Spar Proteas.
The competition is divided into two streams, Botho and Ubuntu, which offer an opportunity for the haves and have-nots to go to the top of the competition.
Twins Ntsako and Tsakani Mbiza believe their school has what it takes to get to the top of the podium at the national finals.
"We want to see ourselves with gold medals around our necks. We need to make sure that we win at the nationals. We want to improve our performance in the knockout stages in both attack and defence," says Ntsako.
Tswelopele was one of the four schools that took part in the DSNC coaching clinics in partnership with Puma ahead of last year’s national finals.
Tsakani says the training sessions have helped improve the team and they are still using the guidance from Baby Proteas centre Karla Victor, and former Gauteng Golden Fireballs assistant coach Nomsa Zungu.
"It has helped us a lot. They taught us how to find space so that the ball can move. That is what we did at last year’s national finals but unfortunately we didn’t get to the final. I am confident that this year we will get there. We are using the same strategy in this year’s provincials and we are happy with how we’ve been playing," explains Ntsako.
Tswelopele will face Sikhululekile Secondary School in their semifinal clash while Tholulwazi Secondary School will meet Thamsanqa Secondary School in the other Ubuntu semifinal.
Meanwhile two-times winners Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria (Affies) cruised to the knockout stage of the Challenge.
The 2023 and 2024 winners rose to the semifinal round after producing a clean sweep from the group stages to the quarterfinals and they will face Helpmekaar Kollege in the last four.
The defending champions, Hoërskool Menlopark, will battle it out with Hoërskool Monument in the other match.