Minister of Sport Tokozile Xasa will lead a strong South African delegation to Singapore this weekend where they are due to submit a bid for the City of Cape Town to host the Netball World Cup in 2023.
Xasa and the director general at the ministry‚ Alec Moemi‚ will be accompanied by Cape Town member of mayoral committee JP Smith and two more officials from the city’s events team.
“Netball South Africa (NSA) is bidding to host the 2023 Netball World Cup with Cape Town as the host City. The benefit of hosting this event would be huge‚ not only for Cape Town but for the region and the continent‚” said mayoral spokesperson Greg Wagner.
“On October 25 council gave authority to support the Netball World Cup Bid 2023. Cape Town has world class facilities and vast expertise in hosting big events‚ not to mention a large netball community who in turn will support this event thereby ensuring its success.
“Cape Town will not only benefit from the direct economic impact through visitor and organiser spending‚ but there will also be the ripple effect of job creation during and after the events‚ as well as the increased usage of our amenities.
“Therefore‚ this event will not only provide an injection into the local economy‚ but also bolster the city as a global event destination.
“It is imperative that the City of Cape Town forms part of the delegation‚ to confirm its commitment to the bid‚ showcase its expertise in hosting large-scale international events‚ showcase a good working relationship with Netball SA and all spheres of government as well as affirm that the City has the required resources and infrastructure to host the event.”
South Africa is competing with New Zealand to host the World Cup.
Xasa said having the tournament in South Africa would go a long way in promoting the sport in the country.
“Netball is the most-played sport by women of the country and it cuts across racial and class divide. Having the World Cup in South Africa will do well to further augment the work Netball South Africa (NSA) is doing to promote the game‚” she said.
“South Africa is proving to be one of the best destinations for sport tournaments. The World Cup will be an add-on as we move towards professionalising this game in the country.”
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