Tshwane -
Minister Sports, Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa will on Wednesday embark on an official trip to
Liverpool as the Proteas Netball team take part in the 2019 Netball World Cup.
The aim of Mthethwa's visit is for the fulfilment of two objectives to support the Protea's Netball team.
The Proteas, who are ranked first on this continent and
fifth in the world, will be representing the nation at this year's World Cup,
which is taking place from July 12–21.
Mthethwa will engage various stakeholders ahead of
the 2023 Netball World Cup, which will be hosted in South Africa.
He will also partake in the official handover of the torch
symbolising South Africa receiving hosting rights of the 2023 Netball World
Cup.
"When the President of International
Netball Federation Hon. Molly Rhone, OJ, CD
indicated the following when awarding South Africa the rights to host the
Netball World Cup in Cape Town, I
was elated, as ours is a country with a reputation of successfully hosting
world events with great aplomb," he said.
"We are aware
that after the England Netball World Cup has been concluded, all eyes will
shift to South Africa and teams will be descending on our country for their own
inspections. All the teams traveling here must find us in a state of readiness
and be left without doubt that as the next host country, we are indeed
prepared.
"This therefore means the task of hosting this showcase of the best
Netball talent in the world along with its legions of fans, which South Africa
boasts millions of, must immediately commence. Whilst in Liverpool, I will be
engaging all key Netball stakeholders for this specific purpose," concluded Mthethwa.
The 16th
edition of the Netball World Cup in 2023 will be held at the International
Convention Centre in Cape Town.
It will be the first time that the Netball
World Cup will be held in Africa as Netball South Africa's proposal was
selected by the International Netball Federation (INF) ahead of another 'exceptional
bid' submitted by Netball New Zealand.