Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria will be looking to secure their third DSTV Schools Netball Challenge (DSNC), powered by Bestmed Medical Scheme title.
The fifth annual national finals of the Netball Challenge will be held at Hoërskool Dr. E.G. Jansen, Boksburg, on 25-26 July.
The DSNC, a partnership between Multichoice and SA Schools Netball (SASN), is a platform that provides young athletes an equal opportunity to showcase their talent on a national stage. The DSNC is divided into two streams, Botho and Ubuntu. It has served as a platform for national coaches and selectors to identify and observe talent.
Affies exhibited dominance in the Gauteng leg of the DSNC. The two-time champions sailed throughout the two-day competition until their final match against crosstown rivals Hoërskool Menlopark, where they took the gold medal in the Botho stream. Although Parkies showed promise in the early minutes of the final, Affies stood out and took the match 24-19.
Captain Kristi Koekemoer was pleased with their performance and said she hopes they will get the threepeat.
“The team’s spirits are high. All our hard work paid off; we saw all the puzzle pieces come together. The team was great, they are the best team ever. We are still going to practise very hard and keep up the conditioning. If we play like this (at the nationals), it is going to be great. We have to keep practising and putting in the hard work,” said Koekemoer.
Hoërskool Noordheuwel staged an impressive comeback in the third quarter against Rand Park High School to claim the bronze medal. The Krugersdorp side won the match 20-17.
GOLD FOR TSWELOPELE
Tswelopele Secondary School had to produce the fight of their lives in the Ubuntu final to take the gold medal. Diepdale Secondary School were staging a comeback in the third quarter and were level with the Thembisa-based school. However, a lapse in concentration by the Diepdale attack made sure that Tswelopele regained their lead and held on to win the game. They won the match 28-26.
Tswelopele captain, Beverly Moyo expressed her pleasure in helping her school qualify for their first-ever DSNC national finals.
“I feel excited about winning, it is a great experience. It’s the first time our school has reached this level. We are happy to have made it this far. We are going to sit down and fix our mistakes to come back strong in the national finals,” said Moyo.
Hammanskraal’s Kgetsiyatsie Secondary School took the bronze medal and booked a spot in their first DSNC national finals. They annihilated Ennerdale Secondary School 36-4.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Cape also held successful qualifiers, and will be represented by Khanyisa High School and Adelaide Gymnasium - Technical School in the Ubuntu section, while Hoërskool Framesby and Pearson High School will compete in Botho.
QUALIFIED SCHOOLS
Gauteng
Ubuntu:
Tswelopele Secondary School, Kgetsiyatsie Secondary School, Diepdale Secondary School
Botho:
Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria, Rand Park High School, Hoërskool Noordheuwel, Hoërskool Menlopark
Eastern Cape
Ubuntu:
Khanyisa High School, Adelaide Gymnasium - Technical School
Botho:
Hoërskool Framesby, Pearson High School