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- Proteas captain Bongi Msomi has announced her retirement from netball.
- Msomi ends as South Africa's most-capped netball player of all-time.
- Msomi will continue her role as coach and manager at the University of Johannesburg
- For more, please visit News24 Sport's home page.
South African netball captain and centre Bongi Msomi officially announced her retirement from the game on Friday.
Msomi, who led the Proteas in their home Netball World Cup, retires on 171 caps - ending as South Africa's most-capped netball player of all time.
Following the Proteas' recently concluded tour to England, where they lost 2-1 in the three-match Test series, Msomi has confirmed that she will call time an illustrious career that has spanned over a decade.
"The decision to retire comes after careful consideration, but I am so grateful that I can make this announcement with a full heart, knowing that I leave the Proteas and South African netball in a very healthy space," said Msomi in a statement.
"I am eternally grateful to all the coaches, colleagues and teammates who have played instrumental roles during my career - there are too many to mention, but you know who you are! Thisha (Mr SG Mncwabe), I will forever thank you for seeing the talent in me and going the extra mile in making sure I become more than just an athlete in netball."
In 2011, Msomi made her Proteas debut in Singapore and continued to impress, playing for several clubs overseas including Surrey Storm, Wasps and Adelaide Thunderbirds.
Then in 2016, Msomi was handed the captaincy armband, a role she has thrived in and made a name of her own.
Msomi proved to be a natural leader and led the Proteas to their most successful Netball World Cup performance in 2019, a fourth-place finish. This, in part, helped to raise the profile of the sport and Msomi became a household name.
The Proteas centre and wing attack has appeared in three Commonwealth Games and August's Netball World Cup in Cape Town, marking her fourth tournament appearance.
"A massive thank you must go to Netball SA for backing me and for respecting me as the SPAR Proteas captain over the past years," said Msomi.
"It has been a great honour to work with you all and I appreciate you so much. I will also be forever grateful to my various sponsors and partners that have been part of this wonderful netball journey.
"Of course, a special thank you also has to go to my wonderful family and my partner Raeesa, who have supported me every step of the way on this journey. Another message of immense gratitude must go to my other 'family', Roc Nation Sports International, for believing in me from day one and offering incredible support and guidance on and off the court."
Msomi played tribute to the outgoing coach Norma Plummer and what she has done for South African netball.
"I would like to make a special mention of coach Norma Plummer, who took lots of time away from home (at her age) to be of such great influence in our country. You are such an inspiration to me, and you definitely kept me going on the court much longer than I thought I might have," said Msomi.
"From you, I learned how to lead selflessly, as well as to see, love and understand the in-depth part of coaching and to appreciate the sport even more. Thank you for everything you've done for netball in our country. You and your team have been awesome."
Msomi, who will turn 36 years old in January, steps away from the sport she loves competitively but will still continue her role as manager and netball coach at the University of Johannesburg (UJ).
"Although it is the end of one chapter, it is now the start of another that I am so excited about. I remain as passionate as ever about coaching netball, and I cannot wait to continue developing this side of my career, with special thanks to the University of Johannesburg for already allowing me to begin this process," she said.
"I will remain a proud ambassador for the beautiful sport of netball, and I will remain fully committed to maintaining my humanitarian and philanthropic endeavours. To this end, I look forward to being able to give more of my time and attention to the Bongi Msomi Legacy Project and various community outreach projects and grassroots development, particularly in places such as my home town of Hammarsdale.
"In many ways, this is just the start of big things to come."
