Although Mandela University lost in the final to the defending champions, the prestigious Madibaz Netball Tournament was the real winner at the weekend.
Played from Thursday to Saturday, the annual event drew 86 teams, who competed in five women’s and a men’s section.
While the women came close in the top division, the men won at their first attempt.
Madibaz Sport netball manager Melinda Goosen paid tribute to the men’s performances over the three days.
“It is the first year that Madibaz Netball Club have entered a men’s team and they certainly excelled.”
Goosen said that despite a lack of experience, they had shown character in winning their section against fellow Eastern Cape side and defending champions Storm Crackers.
The women’s competition was equally competitive and it went down to goal average to separate the top three sides in the A section after NWU Eagles, Madibaz A1 and Madibaz Alumni tied on points.
On that statistic, Madibaz A1 and NWU qualified for the final, with the latter retaining their title.
The event itself proved an enormous success as teams from Cape Town, Potchefstroom and the greater EC produced high-quality netball across the board.
Goosen praised the technical team, who were tasked with ensuring that the programme went off without a hitch.
“Everything ran on time and this made things so much easier and relaxed for all the teams,” she said.
With the schedule running on time, coaches were able to manage the preparation of their charges ahead of their matches at a canter.
SINGLE-POINT MARGINS
The standard of netball was excellent as proved by the fact that the winners in two of the sections got the job done by a single point.
Apart from results, the tournament has far-reaching benefits for the Madibaz Netball Club.
Goosen said it has become a favourite among netball enthusiasts as they come from far and wide to participate.
This helps the Madibaz footprint to reach farther every year, creating new friendships and cementing existing ones with visiting teams, according to her.
The number of schools in the draw is also significant as it unearths new talent, which enables Madibaz to eye potential recruits.
The more immediate advantage though is the game-time it provides at the start of the season.
“This is a great opportunity for coaches to make final decisions with regard to team compositions before the leagues in the various districts start,” Goosen said.
“It offers the chance to see what players can give you under pressure in match situations.”
Results by section:
WOMEN
A: 1 NWU Eagles, 2 Madibaz 1A
A reserve: 1 Phambili Netball Club, 2 Outeniqua High U19A
B: 1 Despatch, 2 Sophokama
C: 1 Seven X, 2 Walter Sisulu University
D: 1 Gugulethu Titans, 2 Flying Eagles
MEN
- Madibaz
- Storm Crackers