Netball Junkie, Author at Netball Junkie

Return To Court, With A Twist

With things returning to somewhat of normality, Benoni Action Sports has launched the 4^th annual Buffelsfontein BPL (Benoni Premier League), which is the 2^nd year that includes netball in the tournament.

We were lucky enough to chat to Christine Straussner from Benoni Action Sports to find out more about the event.

The netball aspect of the BPL is a six-a-side tournament that runs from 4 March 2022 to 20 May 2022. The tournament will be played at the Benoni Action Sports arena, with matches taking place on Friday evenings.

BPL Mixed Netball Features for 2022 — The Mixed Netball Fixtures for the Buffelsfontein BPL

The tournament allows for all action netball players (male and female) to register to play in the tournament. Players are then categorised into levels of representation within the sport, i.e. International, Inter-provincial, Superleague and social.

A random draw takes place based on these categories, with an equal spread of players from each category in each team. Teams are thus, made up of SA players, Inter-provincial players and Superleague players. This affords the rising talent to play along side some of the finest players the country has to offer, and allows them to learn and enhance their skills.

The draw took place on 19 February 2022 and the following teams were selected:

The fact that the tournament is a six-a-side league brings an exciting component to the competition, as the faster pace of the game, the two-point shot and the higher skill level needed is more entertaining. This appeals to the fans and supporters, as well as the players.

“The tournament is really focussed on comradery, as the cricket (which is played by both men and ladies) players come and support the netball and vice-versa. At the end of the day, sport wins because everyone is supporting everyone.”, says Christine Straussner.

The crowd at the BPL draw waiting in anticipation for the results of the draw

At the draw of the teams, we managed to catch up with Shane Sun, who has represented South Africa in four international action netball tournaments and most recently captained the South African Opens Mixed team. This is what he had to say: “It’s an amazing opportunity to give back to a community, while still being competitive and enjoying the sport we all love. The fact that we have amazing sponsors on board, adds an extra element of competitiveness (with R40 000 in cash to be won) and it’s fantastic to see for the sport as a whole. We always welcome sponsors and partners within the sport to support the athletes and promote interest.”

We also got to chat to Cedric Strydom, who played in the 2019 Indoor World Cup. This is what he had to say when we asked his thoughts on the tournament: “I am lucky enough to be the captain of a team for the second year. The challenge with this is finding a good mix between the top players in my team and the first time players. Last year was a good BPL for myself and the team coming in second, so we are going for the win this year. The fun and exciting part is seeing a first timer grow and develop into a competitive player.”

Stay up to date with pictures from the BPL, which starts on Friday 4 March on the Netball Junkie Facebook Page or on the Benoni Action Sports Facebook Page.

Day 3 of the Male National Netball Championships by Buddy Phillip Ntsoelengoe Motsumi

By Netball Junkie

Netball games at the Male Netball Championships in South Africa 2018

Travel Blog: Day 3 – 4 October 2018:

It was a great day with the competition getting intense as we reaching the day of crossings tomorrow – a lot of teams are really bringing their all … We got to observe a lot of games today as we awaited our game which was at 16h00. At 15h15 we started our warm up and it was intense I must say – a great way to get ready for the game … At 16h00 it was time to show we mean business! We were going to face King Cetshwayo! Everyone (spectators) was hyped up for that game. LOL! You could swear it was a final! Both teams came in with their guns blazing but it went down to a team that wanted it more. On our side it was just a matter of keeping consistency and doing exactly what we were told from the bench which we didn’t do and it ended up costing us the game. Nonetheless, both teams played very good netball. Only one game left now before the semis … Thank you to everyone who has been supporting us so far, it’s much appreciated.
xoxo

Written by: Buddy Phillip Ntsoelengoe Motsumi

You can checkout Buddy’s Day Two Netball Entry HERE.

Day 2 of the Male National Netball Championships by Buddy Phillip Ntsoelengoe Motsumi

By Netball Junkie

Wet netball court at the Male National Championships

Travel Blog: Day 2 – 3 October 2018:

Woke up to a very cloudy day and a bit of drizzle. My team was ready to face the 2nd day of the champs … We got to the courts and prepared ourselves before we warmed up for the first game. 08h30 was the start of the first round where we got down to show we mean business going head to head with the hosts Ethekwini A! LOL! Well … things didn’t go down as expected, loosing with a difference of 2 goals … but the boys gave it their all, it was just a matter of keeping consistency from our side. We got to rest for one round and had to face Ekurhuleni in a Gauteng derby. We were well rested and had to make sure we switched our mindsets to positive ones and get into the gist of the game! We played and won but didn’t get to reach our target as instructed. The rain became worse and we had to adjust to the court and unfavourable weather … Round 4 and round 5 had to be moved to tomorrow morning, with round 4 starting at 07h00. Now we have made our way to where we are sleeping. We are gonna have a nice long rest for the day, with coffee in bed, a movie and some game analysis. Do stay tuned for more updates of my travel blog.
xoxo

Written by: Buddy Phillip Ntsoelengoe Motsumi

You can checkout Buddy’s Day One entry HERE.

Day 1 of the Male National Netball Championships by Buddy Phillip Ntsoelengoe Motsumi

By Netball Junkie

Buddy Phillip Ntsoelengoe Motsumi with a teammate

Travel Blog: Day 1 – 2 October 2018:

It was a nice sunny day. We left our apartment very early in the morning around 7:30am with some positive energy and eager to take to the court at Hoy Park netball courts in Durban. The spirit was high as usual at the courts with some of the KZN teams singing their slogans and other teams joining in … We got down to show we mean business when playing our first game at 09h30 and another one at 16h05 and managed to bag 2 wins from those games! The support has been really amazing so far, from the bench to the spectators and not forgetting my team mates! Tomorrow is a new day and we are playing our first round at 08h30 against the host city Ethekwini A … will see how that one goes 🙂

Written by: Buddy Phillip Ntsoelengoe Motsumi