Sydney, Australia- Deputy Sports and Recreation Minister Gert Oosthuizen flew into Sydney on Thursday with a message of support from the government for the SPAR Proteas ahead of their crucial Netball World Cup match against England on Friday.
South Africa have to beat England to qualify for the semifinals.
Speaking to the players at their hotel in Olympic Park, Oosthuizen said the country was behind them, particularly in Women’s Month.
“Social media is full of talk about the Netball World Cup and how our team is doing.
“I received a Tweet on Tuesday saying it would be nice if the Minister or Deputy Minister or the President arrived to support the team before their match against England. I’m answering that Tweet from Down Under,” he laughed.
“Netball is very important to us in the Department,” he said.
“The Minister pioneered the Brutal Fruit tournament and he is totally committed to the sport.”
Oosthuizen said he had travelled the world with the team, from the Cook Islands to Singapore, and various places in between, and he was impressed by the improvement in their standard of play.
“I am confident that we can win tomorrow.
“England is number three, we are number five, but to me that is just numerical,” he said.
He thanked Australian coach Norma Plummer for agreeing to coach the Proteas.
“You have made an important contribution to the sport,” he said.
“Your impact is evident in the way they have been playing.”
Earlier, the Proteas spent the day exploring Sydney, visiting the Opera House and Circular Quay, and travelling by ferry to the beautiful Manly Beach as they took a break from the tournament.