The University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) netball star Boitumelo Mahloko finished in 4th place with the SPAR Proteas in the 2024 FAST5 Netball World Series (FAST5 NWS) which took place on 9 and 10 November at Wolfbrook Arena in New Zealand. Delivering a top-class netball spectacle, this was the third consecutive tournament in the country.
Each of the competing teams played five round robin games and a playoff match over two days.
South Africa won three and lost three games. They opened the tournament with a 33-25 win over England, followed by a single 26-49 loss to Australia on the first day, before ending the first day on a high with a 33-25 win over Jamaica.
On Day 2, the South African ladies netball team registered another 37-20 win over Uganda, but later lost to New Zealand (40-41) and Uganda (42-46), respectively.
The Fast5 Netball tournament rules and setup are different from the conventional 7-player netball match format. Here is how it works:
- In Fast5, teams are made up of five players, rather than the traditional seven.
- The match duration is shorter, with games split into four six-minute quarters.
- Unlimited substitutions are also permitted throughout a match from the ‘substitution box’.
- There are three zones for scoring, each worth one, two and three points, respectively.
- After a goal is scored, the team that did not score takes the centre pass, unlike the standard alternating centre pass rules.
Speaking after the tournament, Mohloko said, “Representing the SPAR Proteas will always be an honour. I was excited to be part of this international series with the team this year. Overall, it was a really good experience with the new coaching staff. Last year, the team finished in 4th place, I really wanted us to take the gold but unfortunately could not make the final, which was very heartbreaking.
“This year we finished in 4th place, an improvement from the previous performance. I saw us doing a lot better, we could have finished in a much higher place had we not lost 40-41 to the hosts in the fifth fixture and later 42-46 against Uganda. We were gunning for gold for South Africa,” says Mahloko.
Apart from netball, the tournament gave Mahloko a glimpse of life in New Zealand, a country that she has longed to visit. “I have always wanted to experience life in New Zealand, even if it was for a short period. I loved the culture and the kindness of the people. It was a 10/10 experience though I wish I could have explored the country more – unfortunately we were busy with a lot of training and competing,” she says.
She was the only UJ Netball Club player in the tournament, with fellow netballer Tarle Mathe selected as one of the non-travelling players.
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