Seabata Mahao
South African netball side, Puma SA Netball Club recently clinched gold in the Women’s Month Commemoration Netball Tournament, defeating LDF Netball Club with a 20-9 score in the finals.
The tournament was hosted by the City Eagles Netball Club at the Lehakoe Recreational Center in Maseru last weekend.
The tournament attracted 31 teams from Lesotho and South Africa, competing across three categories: 13 female clubs, 6 male clubs, and 12 junior female clubs.
The two-day event saw Puma SA Netball Club taking home the ultimate prize of M1 200, along with a trophy and gold medals in the women’s category. The LMPS PTC Netball Club emerged as champions in the male category, winning M1 200, a trophy, and gold medals.
In the youth category, Leqele First Number Netball Club secured victory, walking away with M500, a trophy, and gold medals.
LMPS Netball Club won the male category final with a narrow 20-18 victory over Leseli Tigers. In the juniors’ category, Leqele First Number Netball Club defeated their sister team, Leqele Development, 21-10 to claim the title.
In other results, LDF Netball Club finished as runners-up in the women’s category, earning M800 and silver medals, while LCS Netball Club claimed third place with M500 and bronze medals.
In the male category, Leseli Tigers Netball Club took second place, walking away with M800 and silver medals, while South Ocean finished third, receiving M500 and bronze medals.
In the youth category, Leqele Development Netball Club was the runner-up, earning M300 and silver medals, and LMPS PTC Junior Netball Club finished third, winning M200 and bronze medals.
Ntsane Sehlabaka from the Lesotho Netball Association (LNA) expressed his gratitude for being part of the celebrations and commended City Eagles for organizing the tournament. Sehlabaka praised the City Eagles Netball Club for holding a sports competition to commemorate Women’s Month.
“I hope the visibility of women’s talent in netball will encourage greater support from both the government and the business community,” Sehlabaka stated.
‘Makhabo Lehloenya from Naleli Funeral Planners, the main sponsor of the tournament, spoke about the partnership between Naleli and City Eagles, which began in 2018 but was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She emphasized the importance of reigniting this partnership.
“The goal is to encourage women to participate in sports and other fields, empowering them to stand up for themselves,” Lehloenya said.
“We want the women who participated in these games to serve as role models for the younger generation. We hope everyone who took part in the tournament recognizes its importance,” Lehloenya added.
