SA CROWNED AUSC REGION 5 NETBALL CHAMPIONS
BY:Gaonyadiwe Bateng
GABORONE:The South Africa netball under 20 team was crowned the 2018 AUSC Region 5 Youth Games champions after an easy game for them against Malawi at UB Indoor Sports Arena at the ongoing 8th edition of the games.
The team went home with gold medals and a trophy after marvelous game up against team Malawi where they won 61 baskets to 29 of those of Malawi and on the previous game against Malawi they won 49 to 38 baskets, a game that welcomed them to the competition.
This was not their first time obtaining the first position but they where the defending champions from the previous games which where hosted by Angola during 2016.
The champions have won all their matches which gave them a total of 368 baskets.
Speaking in an interview with the champions coach Ms Dumisani Chauke, she gave a smile of victory before saying a word explaining that she felt great and awesome to have the honor of returning the championship back home.
She further said that they expected that Malawi was to come out with guns blazing as they beat them 11 previously and they have been getting better everyday playing from the games they played and they where to come with a big bang wanting to win against them but managed to distract the game plan and style of play and that is why they got turnovers.
She mentioned that on the previous game with Malawi, team South Africa girls were feeling nervous because it was their first play.
She concluded by saying that moving forward ” African netball should not change and be like the rest of the world because it has a special style of play, quick, short, sharp and patient netball and need to stick to it and not copy what others like the Americans do as they will beat us because it is their kind of play” .
Team Malawi went home with sliver medals that is being crowned second position of AUSC Region 5 Youth Games after that loss during the finals.
Speaking in an interview with the team coach Ms Jane Webster Kafwe Kachali, she said that they where not happy as they where expecting gold medals but they knew they will face difficulties as they had 3 injuries which highly affected their first 7 players.
She said those injuries where the key players. She wrapped up by mentioning that ” we learnt that we need to prepare much with all the 12 players as strong as the should be and in future have very strong benches”.
Zimbabwe got position 3 and went back home with bronze medals after playing against Zambia where they won 47~38, a game that tracked Zambia to position 4.
Position 5 went to Namibia after winning 51~40 against Lesotho who are in position 6 and finally the host being Botswana went away with the last position, position 7 with no single point.
This marked the end of the AUSC Region 5 Youth Games 2018 for netball which where hosted by Botswana.
The next hosts of the games will be Lesotho in 2020.
