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Hoërskool Montana het Woensdagaand sy segetog op tuisbodem in Pretoria voortgesit.

Herleef al die aksie op SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com)

Die Monties, wat óók as die Wit Bulle bekend staan, het in hul tweede wedstryd in vyf dae met ‘n telling van 35-24 oor Hoërskool Marais Viljoen koning gekraai. Hulle het Saterdag ‘n verbete terugvegpoging geloods om Hoërskool Lichtenburg, in Lichtenburg, met een punt te troef en hul onoorwonne status in die NWU Prestige-reeks te behou.

Die Monties was blitsig uit die blokke teen Marais Viljoen, met losskakel, Rubel Bester, wat die toutjies vanuit die staanspoor soos ‘n generaal getrek het. Dit het die gevaarlike binnesenter en kaptein, Hendrew Schoeman, wat verlede jaar reeds vir die Blou Bulle se o.17-span uitgedraf het, op die voorvoet help plaas en die agterlyn se bereidwilligheid om die bal lug te gee, het dikwels vrugte afgewerp.

Die grondslag vir die sege is egter voor gelê, met die Monties-stutte, Aiden van der Made en Xandré le Roux, wat die besoekers laat brul het in die skrums, terwyl die res van die pak die tempo deur die loop van die wedstryd opgejaag het om die oorhand te kry.

Dit is nietemin steeds vroeg in die seisoen, en Marais Viljoen het met tye gewys wat hulle met bal in hand kan doen. Hulle het op stuk van sake ‘n agterstand van 16 punte in die tweede skof na slegs twee punte laat krimp om die Monties te laat naels kou.

Agsteman, Rio Tshimbalanga, het vir die volle 70 minute alles uitgehaal om die span van Alberton aan die wenkant te probeer kry. Sy groot liggaamsbou en fisieke teenwoordigheid het hom haas onkeerbaar gemaak en hy het by een só ‘n geleentheid deur die verdediging gebars vir een van sy span se vier drieë.

Potchefstroom Gimnasium het die naaswenners van verlede jaar, Hoërskool Wesvalia, aanvanklik laat sweet vir ‘n uiteindelike oorwinning met 28-12. Wessies se haker, Fanie Linde, het twee keer gaan druk in sy span se felle aanslag gedurende die tweede helfte, terwyl losskakel, Eduard Dreyer, se stewel weer die telbord aan die rol gehou het met drie strafdoele en twee doelskoppe.

Gimmies se twee stutte, Jaundré Barends en Matt Redelinghuys, het hul stempel deeglik afgedruk in die skrums, wat vir die Gimmies se skrumdokter, Pietman van Niekerk, breed sou laat glimlag het.

Puntemakers:

Montana 35 (26) – Drieë: Juan Alexander, Luan Barnard, Aiden Vorster, Marq de Villiers, Keagan van der Merwe. Doelskoppe: Hendrew Schoeman (5). Marais Viljoen 24 (10) – Drieë: Juan Copper, Ondisa Njili, Jemaine Crouse, Rio Tshimbalanga. Doelskoppe: Raynhardt Kruger (2).

Wesvalia 28 (6) – Drieë: Fanie Linde (2), Quewen Fourie. Doelskoppe: Eduard Dreyer (2). Strafdoele: Dreyer (3). Potchefstroom Gimnasium 12 (7) – Drieë: Elrich Bosch, Reuel Potgieter. Doelskop: Zandré Da Silva.

Ander spanne:

o.16: Montana 28, Marais Viljoen 16; Wesvalia 12, Potchefstroom Gimnasium 3.

o.15: Montana 15, Marais Viljoen 10; Wesvalia 51, Potchefstroom Gimnasium 0.

o.14: Montana 12, Marais Viljoen 10; Wesvalia 22, Potchefstroom Gimnasium 3.

The schools’ hockey season hits full throttle this weekend, and it includes Hoërskool Zwartkop welcoming Hoërskool Klerksdorp to Pretoria on Friday for matches between the boys’ 1st, u16, and u14 teams.

It will be the first time that the schools have met since 2018.

Zwartkop heads into the season full of confidence after a strong 2024 during which they played 34 games, won 22, lost only 8, and drew four.

The school’s Boys’ Hockey Director, Marthinus Gouws, told SuperSport Schools his 1st XI has 350 caps of experience between them.

“Our preparation is going to plan,” he said, “although one always feels that we can do more.”

There has been a change to the coaching setup at Zwartkop, as Gouws explained: “We have had a change in coach from last year, with our previous coach moving to Noordheuwel to take up the reins as 1st team boys’ coach there. We are lucky enough to have snatched up Connor Flowers to take over.”

First games present special challenges, Gouws admitted, and Friday’s outing will be no exception with the Zwartkop team needing to adjust to the change of coach.

“It is an entirely new playing philosophy and structure that might take a match or two to get used to. First games are always a nervy affair with the new boys needing to get used to the higher intensity of the game and the new players,” he said.

The Pretoria school should not find it too difficult to gel, though. At least half of their successful 1st team of 2024 was in grade 11, and that has given them a base from which to build.

“We are lucky to have had almost a 50/50 split for the last two years,” Gouws said, before detailing the make-up of 2025’s squad: “Eight of the 16 are matric learners, seven are in Grade 11, and one from Grade 10.”

After a topsy-turvy season in 2024, the Queen’s College 1st XI will enter their 2025 hockey campaign with energy and vigour. They kick off their season at the Border Schools Day at Selborne College in East London on Friday.

The side will make a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Komani to face some of the region’s fiercest opposition.

The event is a mini-festival initiated by the Border Schools Hockey Association to assist teams with preparation for the new season.

The format of matches will be two 12-minute chukkas with only a minute’s break between them.

Queen’s has three fixtures, against Hudson Park, Merrifield College, and Cambridge High School.

It will be an ideal pre-season outing for coach Michael Baiden and his players, who, according to him, have prepared diligently for the season.

“Preparations have been as good as can be. Our boys have tried very hard to put their best foot forward to improve the technical and tactical parts of their game,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“This has made working with them easier, as they are a very keen group. We are excited for the upcoming season. I’m keen to learn through the challenges and obstacles it will bring.”

Queen’ endured a tough 2024 campaign, which included defeats against Dale College, Selborne, and Grey High in the Eastern Cape. Coach Baiden is optimistic that the group has taken lessons from last season’s losses.

“Last season was a massive learning curve for both me and the players,” he shared. “Even though many results did not go our way, there were many lessons learnt that I am hoping will propel us in the right direction this year.”

Queen’s has retained most of the players that turned out for the 1st team last year, with only three having moved on. That gives them a strong and experienced base from which to work.

“Our team was filled with 16-year-olds who played at that [first-team] level for the first time,” Baiden said.

“We are hoping that last year’s experiences can help the team this year. All we want to do is try and play good and entertaining hockey.”

With 10 players – Aiden van Jaarsveld, Rowan Miles (GK), Brett Hoffmann, Yibonge Mquqwana, Mafu Mandaba, Morgan Hayes, Liso Mtalaliso, Tofiro Kagoro, Aya Maduma, and Liyema Auwa – who featured for Queen’s last year set to don the first team jersey again, hopes are high for a far better season in 2025.

Their first match on Friday is against Hudson Park at 14:00.

Other teams that will be attending the tournament include Dale College, from Qonce, Stirling High, and the hosts, Selborne.

The action starts at 13:30 with a meeting between Cambridge and Merrifield College.

FIXTURES

Friday, 14 March

13:30 – Merrifield vs Cambridge High; 14:00 – Queen’s vs Hudson; 14:30 – Dale vs Stirling High; 15:00 – Selborne vs Cambridge High; 15:30 – Queen’s vs Merrifield; 16:00 – Dale vs Hudson; 16:30 – Selborne vs Stirling High; 17:00 – Queen’s vs Cambridge High; 17:30 – Dale vs Merrifield; 18:00 – Stirling High vs Cambridge High; 18:30 – Selborne vs Hudson.

Parel Vallei’s first boys’ team is on a mission to build upon a promising 2024 season, reach new heights, and stake a claim to be one of the best teams in the hotbed of Western Cape hockey in 2025.

The boys from Somerset West kick off their season at the Parel Vallei Boys’ Hockey Festival on 14-15 March.

The two-day event will present coach Michael van Rensburg and his troops with a chance to fine-tune their systems and get combinations right before the season gets into full swing.

They’ll play three matches on their home turf against Hoërskool Hermanus, Worcester Gimnasium, and Hoërskool Outeniqua, from George.

Speaking to SuperSport Schools Plus ahead of the festival, coach Van Rensburg said he’s satisfied with the team’s preparation: “We are in a good space and quietly optimistic regarding the season ahead,” he said.

“We have had good preparation, and I am happy with what we, as a coaching staff, have seen. The boys are conditioned, thanks to our biokineticist, Michaela Borodinsky. I think we are technically good and tactically [well] organised.”

In 2024, Parel Vallei certainly punched above their weight. They produced impressive results, among them an excellent 4-0 win over Pearson High School in their final match of the season.

Several players represented Boland at SASHOC national weeks.

Van Rensburg has retained some of his key players and will be working with a familiar squad. “We had a young side last year, with eight u16s, so we have retained a majority of the squad,” he revealed.

“We lost four matrics but we’re glad to have three of our national players, Luka Meets, Luca Jordaan, and Stephan Malan, back.”

Meets and Jordaan were influential for Boland’s u16 side at last year’s SASHOC National Week, while Malan represented South Africa at the u17 Dato Mirnawan Cup in Malaysia.

When asked which areas the team will focus on this season, Van Rensburg said: “Something that we’ve worked hard on is our passing and receiving details. Our deep defensive organisation, as well as our creativity within the circle when it comes to goal scoring, are things we have struggled with in the past.”

JP van der Walt will captain the team, and Liyema Jijana will be the vice-captain. They’ll be eager, with their team-mates, to make a good impression in front of their home supporters this weekend.

Other teams that will take to the field at the Parel Vallei Festival include Paul Roos Gimnasium, Paarl Gimnasium, Somerset College, and Reddam House Constantia.

There will also be u16 teams in attendance, and their matches will take place at the Beaumont AstroTurf.

Parel Vallei 1st XI Boys Team for 2025:

Stephan Malan, Tristan Rautenbach, Nathan Nissen, Julian Thiering, Benjamin Traut, Lukah du Toit, Paul Roux, Michael Holmes, JP van Der Walt (c), Christopher Hughes, Michael Holland-Muter, Liyema Jijana (vc), Luca Jordaan, Rhys Lochner, Luka Meets, Sashin Pillay, Andrew Moreby.

Fixtures

Friday, 14 March

16:40 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Reddam House Constantia; 17:40 – Paul Roos vs Somerset College; 18:50 – Parel Vallei vs Hermanus; 19:50 – Worcester Gimnasium vs Outeniqua.

Saturday, 15 March

10:00 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Hermanus; 11:10 – Parel Vallei vs Worcester Gimnasium; 12:20 – Paul Roos vs Outeniqua; 13:20 – Somerset College vs Reddam House Constantia; 16:40 – Hermanus vs Somerset College; 17:40 – Parel Vallei vs Outeniqua; 18:50 – Reddam House Constantia vs Paul Roos; 19:50 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Worcester Gimnasium.

St Andrew’s School, St David’s Marist Inanda, and Hoërskool Garsfontein got their Schools SA20 Final Showdown campaigns off to winning starts in the opening round at the University of Pretoria on Wednesday.

Saints, from Bloemfontein, secured a convincing 37-run victory over Northwood according to the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method. Their match was cut short due to lightning and rain with 21 deliveries to go on the Tuks Oval.

St Andrew’s won the toss, elected to bat first, and tallied 162/7 from their 20 overs with opening batsman Naudé Botha (45) making the biggest contribution. Johnathan Hickley (28) and Johan Liebenberg (25) also chipped in with useful knocks.

Northwood’s Jordan Matthews (3/20) caused the most problems for the Saints’ batsmen with his left-arm spin bowling.

When the Knights took to the crease, Tuswa Phetha (31) tried his best to keep the team from Durban in the game. However, when they lost Connor Leclezio (13) to an injury, they were in trouble, on 89/6 and running out of overs.

St David’s won their opening encounter against Cricket South Africa’s Hub Invitational side by 13 runs, also on the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method.

The team from Johannesburg posted 173/3 in their 20 overs, with the Manack brothers, Morteza (55*) and Armaan (45), leading their charge.

St David’s enjoyed two significant partnerships, with Armaan sharing a 65-run stand for the second wicket with South African u19 player Kamogelo Phiri (26), while Morteza and captain Samrat Basu (19*) put on an unbeaten 70 for the fourth wicket.

Morteza faced a mere 29 deliveries, striking five fours and three sixes, in his unbeaten half-century. Another SA u19 player, spinner Enathi Kitshini, was the pick of the Invitational side’s bowling attack, picking up 2/33.

The CSA Hub Invitational XI produced a valiant reply and had reached 119/4 when lightning and later rain interrupted their innings after 16.1 overs. At that stage, Tshepang Laka (48*) and Paul Matlala (33*) had added a steady 77 for the fifth wicket.

Morteza Manack, who picked up three wickets at a cost of only 15 runs, was also the pick of his side’s bowling attack.

Garsfontein secured a comfortable five-wicket victory over Graeme College, overhauling the Eastern Cape side’s total when they reached 144/5 off the first delivery of the 18^th over.

Garsies‘ opening batsmen, Reuben van Zyl (37) and Charl van Staden (29), laid the foundation for their win with a rapid 69-run partnership in the first six overs.

Graeme College’s Corbin Tidbury (52) also shone, weighing in with a solid half-century, while Echard Struwig returned 2/27 from four overs for the Ysbere.

Summarised Scorecards

St Andrew’s School 162/7 (Naudé Botha 45, Johnathan Hickley 28, Extraas 26, Johan Liebenberg 25; Jordan Matthews 3/20); Northwood 93/6 (Tuswa Phetha 31; Heindré Serfontein 1/5, Andrew Sobiech 1/5). St Andrew’s School won by 37 runs (DLS method).

St David’s Marist 173/3 (Morteza Manack 55*, Armaan Manack 45, Extras 23, Kamogelo Phiri 26; Enathi Kitshini 2/33); CSA Hub Invitational 119/4 (Tshepang Laka 48*, Paul Matlala 33*; Morteza Manack 3/15). St David’s Marist won by 13 runs (DLS method).

Graeme College 141/5 (Corbin Tidbury 52, Luphelo Mdyesha 28; Echard Struwig 2/27); Garsfontein 144/5 (Reuben van Zyl 37, Charl van Staden 29; Ajay Jeggels 2/28). Garsfontein won by five wickets.

Saints Christian School off-spinner Reabetswe Dithipe is buzzing with excitement ahead of the Schools SA20 National Finals, which starts on 13 March at the University of Pretoria, where she hopes to continue proving herself as a vital cog in coach Claudio Lucas‘s side.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools

The all-rounder has established herself as a reliable batter and consistent wicket-taker, contributing 18 wickets in seven matches, while also making regular contributions with the bat since the beginning of the year.

Her knack of capturing wickets at crucial times has been on full display since the North West leg of the tournament. She continued her good run in the Central finals in January, which included a decisive 3/4 in Saints’ win over the Kuruman Hub team.

“I’m excited and ready to showcase my talent. I’m going to give my utmost best in the finals as an individual and will support and encourage my teammates to do the same,” she said.

Besides her wicket-taking contributions, Dithipe is a reliable opening batter and is known for her hard grafting at the crease and ability to absorb pressure up front to lay a solid foundation for her teammates.

The Saints’ vice-captain honed her skills playing against boys from the age of nine. That experience has undoubtedly moulded her into the tough player that she is, and it has also contributed to her growth and maturity in the game.

While her biggest takeaway thus far from the Schools SA20 is that “pressure can refine your talent”, Dithipe acknowledged that it’s going to be tough in the National Finals. She is, however, confident, knowing that she’s surrounded by teammates who can motivate her when the chips are down.

“One time, my morale was so low that it affected my performance but my teammates came through for me to such an extent that I became the player of the match,” she recalled.

It’s that camaraderie that has defined Dithipe and her teammates in the tournament. The North West u16 player hopes they will continue their good form in Pretoria.

“We always give our best. Our coaches are the best in the country,” she declared.

“For the finals, we have prepared thoroughly. We went as far as preparing ourselves emotionally and psychologically.”

Dithipe’s talent coincides with the rise of the women’s game and the youngster is eager to showcase her talent and hopefully end up donning the green and gold like her idol, Laura Wolvaardt, in the future.

When Saints challenge for the honour of being crowned the best schoolgirl T20 side in the country, cricket fans can expect Dithipe to be one of their standout performers in Pretoria, playing a leading role both bat and ball to inspire her teammates to glory.

“If we win, it will be so special because it would mean our hard work paid off and that your humble beginnings cannot stop you from reaching your goals if you don’t give up,” she said.

Pride, bragging rights, and a claim to being the best schoolgirl T20 side in the country will be on the line when the Dr John L Dube High girls take to the pitch for their Schools SA20 National Finals opening fixture against Nomandi Junior Secondary School, on Thursday, at 09:30.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools

Coach Mzwandile Sibiya‘s side will undoubtedly view themselves as title contenders after their dominance of the KZN leg of the country’s most prestigious schools’ cricket tournament.

The Umlazi school began their campaign with a clean sweep in the KZN coastal qualifiers, beating Zeph Dlomo, Fredville, and Kheswa, before defeating Bonginhlanhla High by eight wickets in the regional final in January, to be crowned the KZN champions.

They might not be as fancied as some of the other sides in the competition, but there’s absolutely no doubt that the team has what it takes to go all the way in Pretoria, given their depth of talent

Sibiya’s team has the requisite quality with the bat and ball to make a deep impact in the tournament.

The side has quality bowling resources, led by Anelisa Mhlongo and Zukiswa Ntombela, who have been crucial cogs in the team’s success. They claimed two scalps apiece in the regional final to help Dr John L Dube advance to the national finals.

The impact of opening batters Enhle Mkhalipha and Amahle Ndlazi should be noted as they have led the way with the bat.

Mkhalipha, in particular, will hope to continue her form after a good run in the regionals where she top-scored with an unbeaten 41 in the final against Bonginhlanhla to guide her team to victory.

The KZN u19 player’s positive approach at the top of the order has been a huge strength of the team, and she will be aiming to continue to lead the way with the willow when she opens the batting against the Border champions on Thursday.

TEAM

Omuhle Buthelezi, Hlengiwe Dlamini, Sthembile Dlamini, Olwethu Duma, Nokwazi Khumalo, Lethokuhle Mbili, Zama Mdunge, Anelisa Mhlongo, Enhle Mkhalipha, Lusanda Mkhize, Lungile Ngcobo, Zukiswa Ntombela and Ziyanda Xulu.

Paarl Gimnasium‘s first girls’ hockey side will get their 2025 season underway this weekend at the Springfield Convent School Pre-Season Festival in Cape Town.

The festival, now in its second edition, runs from 14–15 March and will see seven top teams from around the Western Cape battle for supremacy on the turf.

Last weekend, Wynberg Girls’ High, Paarl Girls’ High, St Cyprian’s School, Parel Vallei, and Springfield Convent School opened their seasons at the Spar Hockey Festival.

Those five teams will return to action at Springfield, where they’ll be joined by Paarl Gim and Rustenburg Girls’ High, who played two matches against Rhenish Girls’ High School over the past weekend.

It’ll be the first time that Gim takes to the turf under the leadership of head coach Danelle van Zyl, who is working with a young squad after Gim lost seven matrics at the end of 2024.

They open their season against Parel Vallei before taking on the hosts and St Cyprian’s School in their final match of the opening day.

On Saturday, they’ll play three matches, the most important one being the last against their local rivals, Paarl Girls’ High, whom they defeated 4-0 in last year’s interschools derby.

Another team to keep an eye out for at the festival is St Cyprian’s School. Coach Natalie Esteves’s side performed superbly at the Spar Hockey Festival and scored three wins and a draw in their four outings.

Those victories included defeats of Parel Vallei and Paarl Girls’ High, teams they will face again this weekend.

Speaking of Paarl Girls’ High, they’ll be confident and eager to test themselves after a promising showing last weekend. Despite not being at their best, coach Marc Landman’s troops recorded three wins and one loss.

Landman will use the festival as a further opportunity to learn more about his team and to continue to implement his coaching philosophy.

The hosts will want to bounce back at their home festival after a rather slow start last weekend where they lost three matches but managed a comprehensive 2-0 victory over Somerset College.

Coach Ziyaad Ismail knows the importance of building momentum early in the season, and there’s no more inviting place to do that than on home soil.

Wynberg Girls and Parel Vallei also didn’t have the best of starts to the season at the Spar Hockey Festival, but the weekend’s matches present both with a chance to right their wrongs.

When they played last weekend, they shared a goalless draw. They’ll meet again on Saturday.

The festival kicks off with a clash between Rustenburg Girls’ High School and Wynberg Girls’ High at 14:15, on Friday.

FIXTURES

Friday, 14 March

14:15 – Rustenburg Girls’ High School vs Wynberg Girl’; 14:50 – Paarl Girls High vs St Cyprian’s School; 15:25 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Parel Vallei; 16:00 – Springfield Convent School vs Wynberg Girls’ High; 16:35 – Rustenburg Girls’ High School vs Paarl Girls’ High; 17:10 – Parel Vallei vs St Cyprian’s School; 17:45 – Springfield Convent School vs Paarl Gimasium; 18:20 – Wynberg Girls’ High vs Paarl Girls’ High; 18:55 – Rustenburg Girls’ High School vs Parel Vallei; 19:30 – Paarl Gimnasium vs St Cyprian’s School; 20:05 – Springfield Convent School vs Paarl Girls’ High.

Saturday, 15 March

13:00 – Wynberg Girls’ High vs Parel Vallei; 13:35 – Rustenburg Girls’ High vs Paarl Gimnasium; 14:10 – Springfield Convent School vs St Cyprian’s School; 14:45 – Parel Vallei vs Paarl Girls’ High; 15:20 – Wynberg Girls’ High vs Paarl Gimnasium; 15:55 – Springfield Convent School vs Rustenburg Girls’ High; 16:30 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Paarl Girls’ High; 17:05 – Rustenburg Girls’ High vs St Cyprian’s School; 17:40 – Springfield Convent School vs Parel Vallei; 18:15 -Wynberg Girls’ High vs St Cyprian’s School.

Maritzburg College heads into their season opener against Durban High School (DHS) in Durban on Friday night on the back of a successful preseason.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools

Mark Sanders, College’s head coach, is happy with what he has seen from his charges over the past few weeks.

“We did a lot of work with the team to merge the old College style of play and a new approach,” Sanders shared.

College has been working on the new system since October last year when Sanders, the school’s Director of Hockey, took over as the first team coach. The experienced mentor replaces Kyle Emerson, who is now handling age group teams.

College’s first outing this year was against a Maritzburg College Old Boys team that featured celebrated names, including South African Olympian, Brad Sherwood, who scored a hat-trick. The school team went down 2-3. Had it not been for the chances they squandered, College could have won. They put themselves in a position to win numerous times.

“They executed the gameplan so well that they forced the Old Boys to change their system,” Sanders said.

Over the past weekend, College participated in the Inland 4 Preseason Festival. Sanders used the four-team round-robin event, which also featured St Charles College, Hilton College, and Michaelhouse, as trials to determine his team for the season.

“There were a lot of learnings. We identified areas that need tweaking to get the team into an even better position,” Sanders said.

He said he and his coaching staff used the festival to assess the team’s ability to handle pressure, and their speed and intensity on and off the ball. His charges acquitted themselves admirably.

Uyanda Dhlamini will captain the team, and his vice-captain will be Dane Johnson. They’ll lead a College side with a nice balance of experience and youth.

The lineup includes several returning players from last year and some young faces to ensure continuity for next season. The new additions include players from College’s phenomenal u14 side from a few years ago, which was one of the best teams in that age group in the country.

DHS is one of the top hockey-playing schools in South Africa and Sanders is braced for a tough outing.

School has dominated KZN Coastal selections across all age groups for the past couple of years.

Sanders knows DHS will not give his team free rein on the turf, so he is braced for a tough battle. However, he also believes that his side will do well if they stay true to themselves.

“We are not worried about what the opposition does. We will focus on our style of play,” he said

Hockey fans can expect a humdinger when the two sides lock heads. It is a must-watch contest.

On Sunday, the National Basketball Association (NBA) held its first ever Her Time to Play Elite Camp – South Africa at the Klipspruit Sports Centre, in Soweto.

The event, which welcomed 30 young girls from Gauteng and the North West Province for a one-day camp, marked a groundbreaking initiative for the NBA.

The camp structure included a leadership session and a panel discussion featuring prominent women leaders from South Africa. The event was also organised to celebrate International Women’s Day, on 8 March. It encompassed basketball skills’ development, drills, and discussions on gender-based violence.

The campers engaged in various on-court skills development exercises, including ball handling, dribbling, and shooting, and then ended with competitive games.

Seven local female coaches led the camp, thereby enhancing the Jr. NBA initiative that aims to expand opportunities for both coaches and the youth.

Her Time to Play is focused on promoting basketball participation among female players, coaches, referees, mentors, and administrators, both on and off the court.

Liamisha Aboo, from Redhill School, was recognised as the camp’s Best Defensive Player, while Trishia Guilossa, from the Soweto Basketball Academy, received the title of Most Valuable Player.

During the panel discussion on “Creating Pathways for Girls and Women Through Sport“, key topics of conversation included the necessity of investing in women’s sports and the importance of dedicating time to this cause.

Among the valuable advice shared with the participating girls was the significance of consultation, understanding one’s purpose, and recognising the reasons behind their aspirations. That understanding serves as a foundation for being focused and intentional in their pursuits.

The panel emphasised the importance of overcoming self-imposed limitations, seeking daily personal development, empowering one another, and silencing distractions as essential strategies for success.

Mthokozisi Madonda is responsible for overseeing the NBA’s social initiatives across the continent, including in South Africa. He told SuperSport Schools Plus that the Her Time to Play programme aims to educate, inspire, and connect young girls while offering them access to various opportunities in the sport.

“Today we had a gender-based violence conversation for girls to be aware of gender-based violence, but also aware of their power and who they are and how they can create safe spaces,” Madonda said.

“And then, we followed that up with a panel discussion. We had four amazing panellists. Some of them have played basketball, some of them have played different sports, but they all believe in the power of sport to inspire young girls.”

Madonda shared that the initiative holds significant importance for him. Having grown up in Durban, he developed a passion for basketball and appreciates the potential of the sport to inspire youth.

He emphasised the necessity of focusing on young girls, stating: “There is considerable work to be done to ensure they have access and opportunities, and I take great pride in the NBA’s commitment to advancing this cause.”

Reflecting on the future of NBA Africa, Madonda expressed his enthusiasm, highlighting numerous developments on the horizon and his eagerness to witness them materialise.

“In South Africa, we have the Basketball Africa League approaching, and we will be conducting a series of roadshows in schools and communities. Our aim is to inspire young individuals to develop a passion for basketball.

“Specifically, regarding Her Time to Play, we aspire to replicate this initiative across various regions of the continent and the country, ensuring that more girls are informed and have the opportunity to engage in our wonderful sport,” he concluded.

Full Camper and Coaches List 

Full Name	School/Club
Bokang Lefakane	Soweto Basketball Academy
Ntsakisi Makhuba	Saheti School
Tatum Ho Tong	Mavericks Basketball Club
Kayla Karfor	Mavericks Basketball Club
Liamsha Aboo	Redhill School
Mamello Nalenyane	Soweto Basketball Academy
Tshegofatso Mthenjane	Soweto Basketball Academy
Kgonstse Maleho	Soweto Basketball Academy
Ilhaam Ibrahim	Michael Mount Waldorf School
Tshegofatso Dikobe	Phoenix Basketball Academy
Bophelo Shiburi	Phoenix Basketball Academy
Razaanah Du Preez	Mavericks Basketball Club
Skylah Springbok	Mavericks Basketball Club
Shaylin Ockers	Mavericks Basketball Club
Trishia Guilossa	Soweto Basketball Academy
Amogelang Molefe	Mmanape Secondary
Oratile Moholo	Tshukudu Secondary School
Olerato Malatsi	Thethe Secondary School
Obusitse Malatsi	Molotlegi Secondary school
Reotshepile Ditlhake	HF Tlou Secondary School
Oreabetse Mosidi	Charora Secondary School
Kealeboga Mashiane	Charora Secondary School
Tlotliso Nkhooa	Tshukudu Secondary School
Itumeleng Motaung	Mojagedo Secondary School

Coaches:

Full Name	School
Boitshoko Tau	Capital-A Regional Head and RBS Elite Development Head
Bothlale Khumalo	Keledi Secondary and RBS Elite Development
Kuki Sito	Mmanape Secondary school
Najma Mothlamme	Michael Mount Waldorf School
Nosipho Njokweni	Redhill School
Unarine Maswime	St John’s College