Fresh from getting her first cap in Spar Proteas colours, the University of Johannesburg (UJ) netball player, Boitumelo Mahloko, is eager to start playing in the 2022 Varsity Netball tournament which is scheduled to begin on Saturday, 17 September 2022 at the Rembrandt Hall in Pretoria.
Mahloko joined UJ Netball in 2021 from the University of the Free State where she also played for UFS Kovsies in the University Sports South Africa (USSA) and Varsity Netball tournament.
“I had an amazing start at UJ because the team welcomed me with so much warmth. I had a very good USSA tournament too,” said Mahloko, speaking about her first tournament as a UJ player.
As a national senior player, Mahloko has not played many matches in UJ colours due to her involvement with the Spar Proteas since August 2021. Previously, Mahloko captained the South Africa Under-16 team that played the Confederation of Southern African School Sports Associations (COSASSA) Games in Maseru, Lesotho, winning the championship. In 2017, she was the vice captain of the Under-20 Region Five Games in Botswana, also winning the competition. She became a Baby Proteas player from 2020 until 2021.
“My overall experience of my Spar Proteas debut was very special to me. Getting my first cap in the national senior netball team was a very special moment for me. What made it so special for me was because I played in front of my people.
“The Spar Proteas team is very special to me because of the way we welcome each other in the team and treat one another. It is always an honour to play with and against the best players in the world. I am grateful for the opportunities,” explained Mahloko.
The final-year BCom Finance student plays with her UJ Netball Club coach and manager, Bongiwe Msomi, and some of the players she grew up watching on television such as Karla Pretorius and Shadine van der Merwe.
Mahloko, who hails from Polokwane in Limpopo, previously participated in swimming and athletics in primary and high schools.
She looks up to Sharni Layton who is a retired Australian netball player for inspiration.