Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
A hop, skip and jump to success
Table View star helped her under-13 team win gold at SA schools netball tournament
A HOP, skip and a jump has seen Owami Mafata, 13, make waves on the netball circuit.
The Table View girl helped the Western Cape under-13 Cedars team bag gold at the at the South African Schools Netball All Ages National Tournament in Boksburg, Gauteng month.
They beat the hosts 16-10 in the final. After going down narrowly 15-14 against Mpumalanga’s Inyathi in their opening match, the girls in blue only got better as the competition progressed. They beat Kwazulu-Natal’s Cheetahs 1413 in the quarter-finals and Gauteng’s Delta 16-12 in the semi-finals.
Overall, the Western Cape had a good outing at the competition as they had a number of teams who finished on the podium, including a first place by the under-16 Willows team.
“The competition was tough as everyone was there to win. I believe we were better prepared for the pressure situations as some of the games went down to the wire. My team and I gave 100% on and off the court. We did not play as individuals, but as a team that had one goal in mind,” said the Grade 7 pupil at Curro Century City, who believes the crowd played a crucial role in their success.
“The Western Cape parents were cheering us on, which carried us forward. These memories I will cherish forever. This is like a dream come true, coming fourth place last year to taking the gold medal,” said Owami, who has been a regular in the WC team and Western Province indoor team.
Owami is a fan of South Africanborn netball player Karla Pretorius, who plays for Sunshine Coast Lightning in Australia.
“When defending, she always appears out of nowhere to intercept balls. She inspires me whenever I get the opportunity to play on court,” said Owami, who hopes to play for the Western Cape Southern Stings and Proteas one day.
Manager Andrea Britz said she cried after the final whistle blew.
“They worked hard and gave their all. They are an excellent group of players who deserved to win gold. Credit should also go to coach Chantel Storm, who did an amazing job,” she said.