Lambalati Secondary School will have the opportunity to better their finish at this year’s DStv Schools Netball Challenge (DSNC) national finals, powered by Bestmed Medical Scheme.
The 2024 Ubuntu silver medallists were crowned the Mpumalanga champions following a clinical performance that saw them beat Chief Ampie Mayisa Secondary School 28-10 in the final.
Both teams will represent the province at the national finals set for 25-26 July at Hoërskool Dr. E.G. Jansen in Boksburg. They will be joined by Hoër Tegniese Skool Middelburg and Hoërskool Nelspruit, who will compete in the Botho stream. HTS defeated Nellies in a closely contested match 26-25.
The Netball Challenge is a partnership between Multichoice and the SA Schools Netball (SASN), launched in 2021. The competition is a platform that provides young athletes, from both rural and urban areas, an equal opportunity to showcase their talent on the national stage.
The DSNC is divided into two streams, Botho and Ubuntu. The competition has also become a platform for national coaches and selectors to spot and observe talent.
Meanwhile, Free State’s C&N Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje will also be hoping to better their finish from last year’s finals. They were beaten by two-time champions, Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria.
'AMAZING GAME'
Oranje captain, Jessica Barnard, believes the team is peaking at the right time and they should be well polished in time for the national finals.
“It was an amazing game. It is unfortunate that they were the better team on the day but I feel like it is better to be the underdogs. I think this year is going to be a big comeback, we struggled at the beginning of the year and we are now building up. It would be very important because we have had the title before. Going into it, as one of the top schools in netball, it is always important to go back to the fact that it has been done before and it can be done again. It would be amazing for the school to be there again,” says Barnard.
Oranje will be joined by Hoërskool Sentraal, who they beat in the provincial final and Bethlehem Voortrekker High School, the other school that will represent the Free State in the Botho division. At the same time, Leifo Iziko Secondary School and Ntsu Secondary School will compete in the Ubuntu stream.
QUALIFIED SCHOOLS
Mpumalanga
Botho
Hoër Tegniese Skool Middelburg, Hoërskool Nelspruit
Ubuntu
Lambalati Secondary School, Chief Ampie Mayisa Secondary School
Free State
Botho
C&N Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje, Hoërskool Sentraal, Bethlehem Voortrekker High School
Ubuntu
Leifo Iziko Secondary School, Ntsu Secondary School