‘We’re here to win’
African champions expect to push Sunshine Girls
Published:Monday | January 13, 2025 | 12:09 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
SOUTH AFRICA’S ‘SPAR Proteas’ netball team arrived in Jamaica on Saturday night ahead of their upcoming three-match series against the Sunshine Girls set for the National Indoor Sports Centre with match days scheduled for January 18, 22, and 25.
The number-six-ranked South Africa arrived in spanking good form after winning the African Netball Cup in December, with captain Khanyisa Chawane capturing the Player of the Tournament title while teammate and goal shooter Elmere Van Der Berg claimed the best shooter award.
Jennifer Van Dyk, head coach of the team, stated that while aware of the danger that the Sunshine Girls pose, her team is focused on making life tough for the home team.
“It’s actually a very important series for us. Jamaica are currently ranked third and that’s what we need, that competitiveness, and we expect that. We know they are a very strong team but we are here to win and give our best,” she stated.
While the head-to-head reads three victories for the SPAR Proteas over 18 games, Van Dyk revealed that heading into this series she has already identified loopholes in the Jamaican team that they are ready to exploit.
“We’ve identified a lot of areas and, obviously, one of the main things that stand out is that the number one and two shooters are out with injuries. We know, on the defensive end, that’s where the trouble is, as we’ve studied them a lot and we have a couple of plans up our sleeves to make sure that we can counter it,” she added.
February will mark one year since Van Dyk’s appointment as head coach of the team, and she explained that this will be her first real challenge.
“I’ve only had two series, so it’s been a slow and frustrating start. However, I have a lot of plans with a lot of young players and I have time to work with all of them. We haven’t been tested to the top of our abilities, so this will be our first real test,” she said.
Chawane has echoed her coach, saying the team is fully focused on the task at hand.
“I’m looking forward to the team performing really well against Jamaica. Yes, it’s going to be tough but I’m looking forward to the great matches coming up.
Chawane added that winning the African Netball Cup was a big morale booster for the team and she hopes to feed off that momentum.
“It really gave us some confidence showing that we’re gelling as a team and how well we are playing. This will help us to continue building on what we’ve started. As a team, we don’t give up and we will give each other a hard time.”