DStv Schools Netball Challenge: An initiative to unearth young talent

With all eyes on the 2023 Netball World Cup to be hosted in Cape Town, MultiChoice has launched the DStv Schools Netball Challenge, an initiative that will create new opportunities for secondary school female netball players aged between 16 and 19.

The DStv Schools Netball Challenge will take place all over South Africa and includes secondary schools in rural and urban areas with the aim to uplift South African Schools Netball (SASN).

“We are proud of the impact our sports development programmes have had on the country’s future soccer and rugby sports stars, and look forward to uplifting local netball stars,” said Joe Heshu, MultiChoice Group Executive for Corporate Affairs.

The DSTV Schools Netball Challenge launched in anticipation of the 2023 Netball World Cup. Image: South African Schools Netball (SASN).

The tournament starts with local inter-school leagues, followed by district matches, regional play-offs and provincial games and concluding with the national championship taking place in August which will be broadcast on DStv.

The championships include two separate concurrent streams of competitive netball ensuring both rural and urban schools can reach the finals. The Ubuntu Stream concentrates on schools in rural areas whereas the Batho Stream are for schools in urban areas.

Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Ms Nocawe Noncedo Mafu said:

“We are excited about this initiative taken by MultiChoice and Netball SA of ensuring that ahead of the 2023 Netball World Cup, we are indeed able to take South African Schools Netball to a whole new level, by creating a “Big-Event National Championship” which will assist in identifying the netball talent of tomorrow. When we won the rights to host the Netball World Cup back in 2019, as the Government we looked forward to living a legacy that will benefit a girl child and take netball as a sport to another level.”

This is not the first time Netball South Africa has partnered with MultiChoice, as it has previously sponsored and broadcast the Netball Premier League.

Register your school for the DStv Schools Netball Challenge here.

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