The Khayelitsha 2018 domestic netball league resumed last Saturday.
The inaugural match was held at OR Tambo Sports Centre in Site B.
It was a double header between City Masters from Makhaza and Young Stars from Harare, who were trashed 25-6.
Dynamites from B-Section in Khayelitsha also beat Silver Gals from Town Two, 13-8.
Khayelitsha Netball Union Chairperson Phatheka Mrwebi said they have only five teams registered in their league for now.
“Our league is starting till end of May and will resume for the second leg at the end of July till end of September.
The reason we stop playing at the end May is because most of our players are students. So, we want to give them enough time to study for their exams,” said Mrwebi.
She said their aim was to sustain the league and invite more teams to join.
“We are looking for sponsors that can support our league. We started the league in 2010 and we are still struggling to sustain it. For now, we are paying everything out of our own pockets,” she said.
She said they have already produced Akhona Dela, who plays in Western Province provincial team.
“We want to produce more players to represent Khayelitsha in the province,” she said.
Mrwebi said one of their challenges was the lack of playing fields.
“We used to play at the Khayelitsha Rugby Stadium, but the poles were stolen and we were forced to move to OR Tambo Sports Centre.
Even there, only one ground has poles,” said Mrwebi.
City Masters Coach Nompumelelo Marawu said she is proud of her team and urged people from Makhaza to come and support them.
She has vowed that her team will defend the league title for the second time running.
“With the quality of the players I have in the team, I believe I can defend the title. And I am appealing to local business people to support us with whatever they have,” said Marawu.
