"Our vision is to use sport ... to unite people of all colours and origins"
Netball players from communities across Nelson Mandela Bay battled it out on the courts at the Old Grey Sports Club in Gqeberha on Saturday in a friendly tournament. The event aimed to build social cohesion among players from different nationalities and racial groups.
The tournament's manager Shelton Chiyangwa said, "There's a lot of racial, tribal and xenophobic tensions in our communities so we envisioned using sport to unite people. We also had South African teams with white and coloured people to show diversity.
"Our vision is to use sport ... to unite people of all colours and origins. We are all one people, that's the underlying message," Chiyangwa said.
A group of netball coaches across Gqeberha arranged the tournament. The team players, who all reside in Gqeberha, are from various age groups. Some are scholars, while others are working professionals.
The 18 participating teams included nine from South Africa, seven from Zimbabwe, one from Malawi, and a mixed team representing various African nationalities. The event was joined by friends and family members of the participants who cheered them on from the sidelines.
At the end of the tournament, South Africa's Flying Eagles emerged as champions, with Zimbabwe's Golden Queens securing the runner-up position.
The Best Centre Player award went to Acqueline Mutero, a 31-year-old Zimbabwean player from the Pinnacles of Grace Assemblies netball team. "I am surprised to have bagged this prize because this was my first time playing competitive netball," she said.
Several participants expressed hope that this event would become an annual tradition. Nosabelo Gqozo, coach of the Nelson Mandela University Protection Services team - made up of the institution's security personnel - said, "We've learnt a lot from this tournament. We should not hate each other because, in the end, we are all human beings. These tournaments have the potential of eradicating social tensions in communities," she said.
