Player-coach duo rep Wits with pride at 2020 TNL
- Tshepiso Mametela
The Telkom Netball League (TNL), South Africa's premier netball tournament, has returned and leading a shining example as the only player-coach duo of the Wits Netball Club first-team are Panashe Chiranga and Marguerite Rootman, respectively, who will make their presence felt at the October 14 to 27 event.
Showcasing the best talent from across the country, 12 teams featuring all nine provinces, will put their A game on full display as they vie for top honours. "Personally I am extremely proud of Panashe and the player she has become," said coach Rootman, who believes the experience of featuring at the flagship event will be rewarding for her star player. "She is not only
representing the Gauteng Golden Fireballs at this tournament but also the SA Under-21 squad."
When asked what it meant for her to represent the institution on a stage of this kind and how she hopes her participation alongside Chiranga will bode, the coach oozed with optimism. "People are starting to talk about Wits and how the netball has grown. It is unfortunate that Covid happened as we were aiming to qualify for the Varsity Cup this year. Even though Panashe
is the only student-player here, we had three other players involved," said Rootman.
"Anja Esterhuizen was chosen for the team but had to withdraw [after being diagnosed with a terminal illness] shortly after the team was announced. This was a big loss to the team. We also had Kelly Gouws and Kagisho Itholeng as training partners for the Fireballs. They are young players and to have been identified at this age is a huge achievement." The year's TNL is set to be played every day for two weeks, contrary to previous years, where games were played every weekend over an eight-week period with a break of one week in between.
But due to the 网易体育 pandemic this time around, organisers have taken the extra precaution of staging the tournament in a bio bubble. Rootman added that the frequency of games will be harder on the players' bodies but said she is confident her young star, Chiranga, will impress. "I can see Panashe worked hard during the lockdown as she is holding up pretty well and her place in the team is well deserved. She gets to play against some of the best players in the country and that alone lifts her standard of play," said Rootman.
Highlighting what the outing means for her, Chiranga said it is a huge achievement for Wits at large. "It is a great achievement, personally and for the University to have a player and coach combo participating in the league. With this being a big league in South Africa and finding myself in the presence of such great netballers, I am hoping to gain experience from these
two weeks of daily games," said the netball ace.
Netball South Africa U/21 Team in the Telkom Netball League Photo Credit: Netball South Africa