Msomi pleads for govt support
PROTEAS CAPTAIN Bongiwe Msomi is urging the South African Government to rally behind Netball SA’s bid to host the 2023 World Cup. It will be the first time the tournament is hosted in Africa.
The tournament, which would be exclusive to a hosting city, would provide an economic injection in excess of R2.6 billion.
More than the financial gain would be the boost to women in sport in South Africa and Africa.
The 2023 bid deadline is June 30 and the bid has to be endorsed and have the full backing of the government.
Msomi speaks of netball changing her life, boosting her confidence as a teenager and reinforcing her belief in the importance of women in society.
She started playing as a 16-year-old and said that had it not been for netball, her story, like so many teen girls in South Africa, could have been very different.
Msomi speaks of the role of netball to inspire a generation of young women and the obvious impact of a World Cup in South Africa.
The Proteas captain said playing at home to packed arenas, with the sport enjoying mass media coverage during the series against Australia, New Zealand and England, was unlike anything she had previously experienced in SA.
“The feeling of being introduced as representing South Africa is overwhelming. I have always been amazed by how we can come together as a country with different cultures, ideas, challenges and backgrounds, and have one passion and goal as a team.
“It was massive for the players to see the support and interest. Our performances lifted and we showed our ability to be competitive against the very best teams. To have the chance to host the world’s best teams in South Africa would simply be huge.”
Head coach Norma Plummer said the Proteas had earned the respect of the top sides.
“There was a time not too long ago when the Proteas were losing to the best teams by MOSCOW: Foreign fans have been flocking to Moscow in recent days as the Russian capital prepares to host the opening match of football’s most prestigious tournament today.
Russia are set to play Saudi Arabia in the World Cup opener at Luzhniki Stadium before a sold-out crowd of more than 80,000.
Chatter in English and Spanish is filling restaurants and bars in the city centre as foreign fans mingle with locals who are happy to welcome them with hometown pride.
“Do you speak English?” a man with a French accent asks a waitress at a popular Georgian restaurant, Khachapuri, on Ukrainsky Boulevard. She shakes her head politely.
“You are beautiful!” the man says, half-joking, as the waitress smiles. “You see! You speak English! You understand!” Later on, the waitress explains she has been genuinely amused by all the foreigners coming in.
It’s rare to see such flocks of Western tourists in Moscow, especially in recent years as Russia’s relations with the West have soured over conflicts in Ukraine and Syria.
Some of the strongest ticket sales for the World Cup have come from the United States. American fans have purchased more than 100,000 tickets, despite a warning by the US State Department that potential tourists should “reconsider travel”.
Russia, hosting the tournament until mid-July in 11 cities throughout the European part of the country, has waived visa requirements for foreign fans with match tickets.
A group of English fans in a bar near Red Square, just across the Moscow River, are excited to have been able to travel to Russia without a visa. With stilted English, a bartender helps them to choose between the many options of local craft beer.
The bar, Suspicious Faces, has walls humorously adorned with mugshots of Western celebrities, such as Frank Sinatra, Mick Jagger and even Bill Gates. As is common in the city, American hit songs are blasting from the bar’s speaker system.
Outside, fireworks light up the night sky in celebration of the annual Russia Day holiday on June 12.
Russians enjoyed two days off work this week for the holiday, and the Moscow city administration has asked employers to allow one more, today, for the opening match. – dpa