Does Singapore netball benefit Botswana?

Despite official International Netball Federation (INF) rankings showing Singapore to be lower than Botswana in the sport of netball, authorities and players at the local netball body glorify the Asian nation for enhancing the quality of play in those who continue to be attached there.

Since 2012, seven players from local netball teams have been attached to some Singapore league clubs with the netball leadership in Botswana believing the move will go a long way in improving Botswana’s standard of play. Yet the first time a Botswana national netball team lost to Singapore was this past year at a six-nations championship the Asian country hosted in December. Even the hosts had not expected the victory, knowing that in all their previous encounters, Botswana teams have had the better of them. This superiority of Botswana netball over that of Singapore on the court has also been authenticated by the INF through their official world ranking statistics released every three months. 

Botswana’s unprecedented loss in December may have been because the local netball body had deliberately chosen blossoming young talent over the tried and tested to go to play in that tournament although the reality might just be that Singapore’s netball is on the rise. Perhaps so, indeed, because in July last year, Botswana maintained their previous position at number 16 in the world with a rating of 60, while Singapore were ranked at 19 with a rating of 50. By December, following Botswana’s loss to Singapore, the rankings still kept Botswana at number 16 but with a decreased rating of 59 while Singapore rose to number 17 with an improved rating of 57.

The rankings and the previous Botswana dominance of Singapore might suggest that there is little the locals can learn from their Asians bosom buddies, but BONA Secretary General Gracious Seru avers that while on the ground it may appear so, the intensity of play in the Singapore leagues coupled with world class training facilities could go a long way in helping local players improve from where they are now. In fact, if things went according her, she said, more players could be sent to Singapore to ensure the total development and growth of the national team.

Strangely, 18-year old Jungle Queens defender Letang Mogotlhwane believes the standard of play in Singapore is way below that of Botswana. The blossoming star is one of the four players currently turning out for Singapore’s Netball Super League sides whose league is about to conclude with the finals set for next weekend. Mogotlhwane plays for Blaze Dolphins, and concedes that competition is intense: “The netball here is very competitive, everyone wants to be champion and you really can’t say this is the best team. But I don’t think that their standard of play is better than that of Botswana. It’s just that here there are advanced facilities and activity throughout, keeping everyone fit,” she told BG Sport. Mogotlhwane is however quick to point out that the benefits they are deriving from playing there are massive. “I can say for sure that I will return to Botswana a better player. Training here is world class and I have improved in confidence, decision making and even my jumps are a lot better,” she said.

Another of the local players there is BDF Cats’ offensive star Hildah Binang who last year was the competition’s most valuable international player while playing for Sneakers Stingrays. She is back in that league again this year but turning out for Mission Mannas. She too cannot say for sure if the level of play there beats that of Botswana but concurs with Mogotlhwane that the professional manner in which the league and netball in general are run is what Botswana needs to see the local players soar to become world beaters. “For starters, here the players are very short, but the intensity of their game is devastating. You are always on the run and you are always working. There is not time to relax. If we could have competitions in Botswana that always keep us as busy as here, we would be far. My physical fitness improves a lot while training and playing here. There is never a break, and I believe the approach they are taking here will see Singapore netball rise from nothing to become the most prominent in the world. It should come as no surprise that they beat our national team in December, they run good programs, and their netball is improving rapidly,” Binang said. 

BONA president Tebogo LebotseSebego seems to share in Binang’s observation and says they are continuing to work around the clock to come up with similar strategies geared towards helping to enhance the quality of play for Botswana’s elite players. The key thing, she says, is finding sponsors to help them achieve their dream. In similar fashion to what the Singaporeans are doing, now joined in the strategy by South Africa, BONA came up with the Spar SuperStars League last year and the netball president is determined to have the tournament hosted again this year. The netball boss is resolute in her conviction that the Singapore league is indeed aiding Botswana’s cause. Apart from the international exposure they get, LebotseSebego says she has observed the players to be more driven and passionate post the Singapore experience.

“Though Singapore are lower ranked than us, they are better organized with multiple sponsors. Their netball association Secretariat is bigger and full time, including a CEO and a Technical Department headed by former New Zealand head coach Ruth Aitken, who has two World Cup titles and a Commonwealth Games’ Gold under her belt,” she said. Botswana netball has no such luxury, and is manned by part timers who are full time employees elsewhere. Funds permitting, Lebotse would love to see Botswana emulate the strategies put in place by the Asian nation. She added, “The aim of their league is to develop and prepare Singapore athletes for international competition. Since inception, the positive results of all these initiatives by Singapore, including the Six Nations Cup, are bearing testimony that Singapore is becoming a dominant force in netball. The country therefore provides us an opportunity to benchmark and learn from them. We obviously lack the resources at their disposal, both financial and human, but we continue to do the best we can within our limitations.”

21-year old Violet Oneile, another Motswana player doing business for Magic Marlins in Singapore, also believes that given the resources they are now enjoying in the Asian country, Botswana’s netball could be much stronger. “Now I know that in Botswana we do not train and prepare enough. If I had the benefit of these facilities and programs here from the start of my career, I would be far. In the short time I have been here, my game has improved tremendously. The funny thing is, I am the one who was teaching my teammates here how to pass the ball for a tall player. I showed them some moves they didn’t know. But the training culture here has helped me more. I promise Batswana will see a better player in me when I return,” the lanky UB Crystals player told BG Sport.

At 17, Sarona Hans is the youngest player in the Netball Super League in Singapore, and like her compatriots, she cannot help but marvel at the facilities. “Everything here is so well-organised. The league is so competitive we can’t even try to predict who the winner will be for any particular match. I am gaining a lot of experience and skill,” she said in a BG Sport interview this week. She too has done well for her club M1 Sunfish, and believes she has a lot to come and share with her teammates when she returns to Botswana on February 17.

The general opinion from the players seems to sum up the words of their president LebotseSebego  when she decries the lack of resources to push their agenda. Otherwise, as Mogotlhwane so bravely puts it, the Botswana game is technically and tactically superior to that of Singapore. Binang adds, “In terms of playing on the court, we are much better, they even learn from us. What we can learn from them is the work ethic, discipline, proper organization, non-stop preparations, punctuality and all other professional ways in which they do their things.”

The national netball team captain Portia Rasekhumba also believes that the INF rankings could be misleading in terms of what Singapore can teach Botswana. On several occasions she has been to Singapore with the national team and while there, she made these observations: “Singaporeans are hard workers. In netball and in general, they work more hours than we do. One of the routine things that they do is exercising. Once there your mindset changes and you realize that indeed success comes with hardwork. Even our authorities can learn a lot from there. Sport is taken seriously, players’ welfare is key, and most importantly a country has to have good facilities from the grassroots. That’s what Singapore teaches you.”