Picture: SUPPLIED
The Spar Proteas celebrated last Wednesday after beating the Ugandan She-Cranes 44-32, securing the trophy at the Spar Challenge Tri-nations netball tournament in Cape Town.
Their victory didn’t come easy and the Proteas had to claw their way to the top following a strong lead by the She-Cranes in the first half.
Uganda pulled ahead early, leading 10-7 by the end of the first quarter.
The Proteas put in a valiant effort but even so, Uganda was still ahead 19-17 as the second quarter drew to a close.
The Proteas managed to rally in the third quarter and seven goals later were tied 22-22 with the She-Cranes.
They gave one final push in the fourth quarter which secured their tournament-winning 44-32 victory.
While SPAR Proteas coach Dorette Badenhorst was excited by the win, she said there was still a lot of work for the team.
“What is worrying is that our shooters’ percentages are too low. It’s no good the centre court getting the ball to the circle if the shooters don’t get the ball in the net,” she said.
Badenhorst also said the tournament was a valuable experience for the Proteas as they were busy preparing for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, UK, as well as the 2023 Netball World Cup in Cape Town.
Proteas captain Bongi Msomi was awarded Most Valued Player and said that the Spar Challenge had been important for the team as it allowed them to bring new players into the fold.
“We are a very close team and the new players have bought into that,” she said.
