Images: Supplied
Cape Town officially marked 100 days before Africa’s first ever Netball World Cup is in style, unveiling the latest mural commemorating the tournament and launching street netball games.
The mural was unveiled outside the CTICC, which will be the home of the quadrennial tournament for two weeks in July, and Executive Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis commemorated this along with Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security Alderman JP Smith, Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa, Western Cape MEC for Sports and Culture Anroux Marais and members of the Netball community.
The life-size artwork, paying homage to Cape Town’s netball heritage and the Mother City, is situated on Lower Long Street between Walter Sisulu Avenue and Wharf Street.The street mural adds to a list the City commissioned across the metro since last July to raise awareness in the lead up to the upcoming international netball tournament.
The large artwork will remain on the road surface for the next few months and will be part of Cape Town’s official fan park for the event. The fan park will be situated on Cullinan Square and will be a space where fans can watch matches, enjoy live entertainment, play games and enjoy a family environment for the duration of the Netball World Cup which starts in three months’ time.
“Cape Town is officially ready to welcome the world to our beautiful city this July. A lot of hard work has been going on behind the scenes for over 36 months to ensure Cape Town is able to deliver a memorable Netball World Cup experience for players and spectators
“Outside the CTICC, the City has earmarked a space which will be used as a fan park during the tournament. Just like we had thousands on the Grand Parade for the 2010 World Cup, we want this space to be a place where thousands of Netball fans can gather to enjoy games and everything netball. We call on the world to come experience a uniquely African Netball World Cup in one of the world’s top destinations and for locals to bring the gees to back the Proteas,” said Mayor Hill-Lewis.
The City is also in the process of finalising plans for four other viewing areas in Langa, Khayelitsha, Bellville South and Mitchells Plain.
Part of Cape Town’s build up to the Netball World Cup is the City-sponsored Street Netball programme led by the Sporting Chance Development Foundation. The 100 days event served as the programme’s soft launch with an exhibition match featuring Sporting Chance’s U/13 girls team from Langa.
The inaugural street netball programme will see over 760 junior netball players from Grassy Park, Elsies River, Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha, Langa, Mfuleni, Ocean View and Nomzamo take part. The initiative is aimed at guiding them towards future opportunities through the valuable lessons of sport.
City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith, added: “When Cape Town put its hand up as host city for this World Cup back in 2018, we knew it would provide economic benefits for the city and the country. But we also wanted to ensure that those opportunities filter down to the young aspiring netball players.
“Our support for the Sporting Chance Street Netball programme forms part of the legacy we want this Netball World Cup to leave behind, especially for aspirant players who have the opportunity to compete just a stone’s throw from their heroes in July.
“With just 100 days before the showpiece, programmes like these will be important to the development of these young players and we’re proud to form part of their growth.”
The first official street netball games will be on Friday, 21 April.
Regional finals are planned for Youth Day, 16 June 2023, and the festival finale will take place in the Fan Park next to the CTICC to coincide with the 2023 Vitality Netball World Cup.
Edited by Nicklaus Kruger
