XOLILE MPISANE
IQEMBU lesizwe lakuleli le-netball, amaProteas, lizobuyela enkundleni ngoJanuwari njengoba sekuqinisekisiwe ukuthi lizogijima kwiNetball Quad Series ne-Australia, iNew Zealand ne-England.
Leli qembu, elicijwa nguDorette Badenhorst, lisanda kuvikela isicoco se-Africa Netball Cup eNamibia kule nyanga, liqinisa indawo yalo njengeqembu elihamba phambili ezwenikazi i-Afrika.
IQuad Series izoletha inselelo eyehlukile njengoba bezobe betholene phezulu namaqembu amathathu aqhwakele phezulu uma kukleliswa awe-netball emhlabeni.
Njengamanje i-Australia iyona esesicongweni, ilandelwa ngompetha bomhlaba, iNew Zealand. I-England isendaweni yesithathu. INingizimu Afrika ilele endaweni yesihlanu ngemuva kweJamaica.
“Kuyasithokozisa kakhulu ukuthi sizophinde sithole elinye ithuba lokudlala namaqembu asezingeni eliphezulu,’ kusho ukaputeni wamaProteas, uBongiwe Msomi.
“Yinto esijwayele ukuyisho, ukuthi sifuna ukudlala imidlalo enzima futhi leli yithuba eliyingqayizivele. Izinga lokuzethemba liphezulu njengoba sinqobe i-Africa Netball Cup.
“Siphinde sabona nabadlali abasha bezibonakalisa enkundleni ngakho-ke yisikhathi esihle lesi sokuthi sidlale nala mazwe ahlonishwayo emhlabeni esagcina ukubhekana nawo kwiNdebe yoMhlaba ngo-2019.”
IQuad Series yaqala ngo-2016, yadlalwa kabili ngo-2017 nango-2018. Eyokugcina yayingo-2019 ngaphambi kokuthi iphazanyiswe wubhubhane lweCovid-19 nyakenye.
I-Australia isinqobe lesi sicoco amahlandla amahlanu, iNew Zealand kanye, i-England neNingizimu Afrika ayikayiphakamisi le ndebe.
Lawa maqembu amane azobhekana eCopper Box Arena eLondon kusukela ngoJanuwari 15 kuya ku-19 phambi kwabalandeli.
“Sijabule kakhulu ngokukwazi ukuqinisekisa iNetball Quad Series engenye wemiqhudelwano ethakaselwa kakhulu,” kusho isikhulu se-England Netball, uFran Connolly.
“Sibonga bonke abasebenzi nabadlali beNetball Australia, Netball New Zealand neNetball South Africa abasebenze ngokuzikhandla ukuqinisekisa ukuthi lo mcimbi uyaphumelela.”
AmaProteas azobhekana ne-England ngoJanuwari 15, i-Australia ngoJanuwari 16, azwane amandla neNew Zealand ngoJanuwari 18.
Amaqembu amabili, azoqoqa amaphuzu amaningi, azodlala kowamanqamu ngoJanuwari 19, amabili azoqeda emsileni alwele izindondo zethusi ngosuku olufanayo.