Two decades after she first stepped on a netball court, Bongi Msomi’s career has come full circle, and the Proteas captain is relishing the opportunity to lead the SA team at the first World Cup in Africa.
Msomi is the most experienced player in the 12-member squad, with 158 caps, and her experience is expected to make a significant impact on the national side’s campaign at the 10-day global showpiece which started in Cape Town on Friday.
And while she has her sights set on the podium, as she looks to carry the Proteas to their first World Cup medal in 28 years in front of their home crowd, her fourth appearance at the quadrennial spectacle also gives 35-year-old Msomi a chance to take a moment and look back on her spectacular career.
Starting out
One of eight children, Msomi had no ambitions to become a netball player in her youth, and she was first introduced to the game by chance.
Watching a match from the side of the field at the age of 16, she was asked by friends in Hammarsdale to fill in, as they were a player short. She obliged, embarking on a new path that would ultimately change her life, as the livewire centre-court star went on to establish her place as one of the most recognisable figures in the game.
After earning a sports management diploma at the Durban University of Technology, Msomi made her Proteas debut in 2011 and took over the captaincy of the national team in 2016.
“Most people don’t start playing as late as I did, so when I started I was very conscious of what I could do and what I couldn’t do, and I was very aware when I was struggling,” she said.
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During her lengthy career, Msomi has competed in professional leagues around the world, including Australia and the UK, and her presence on court was crucial in helping the Proteas reach the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup in Liverpool – the team’s best performance in 24 years.
“It’s been quite an amazing journey, and every time I’m announced as the captain for a match or series, I really feel humbled and honoured to lead the country,” she said.
“I’ve achieved so much that I never thought I would through the sport, and there’s nothing more I can ask than what it has already given me. It’s been really amazing and the people around me have been so supportive.”
Leading from the front
All the experience she has gained could now be invaluable as she attempts to absorb the pressure of competing on home soil at the highest level of the international game, and the SA team couldn’t be in better hands on court as they target next week’s World Cup playoffs.
The skipper has the ability to handle the nerves and keep her teammates calm, while offering tremendous value as a playmaker, whether she is controlling the game from centre court or driving the side forward at wing attack.
Msomi insisted she was not underestimating the magnitude of the moment.
“I have realised that we are embarking on a beautiful journey that a lot of kids out there will probably never have and we have this chance to not only step out and represent ourselves, but actually the country at large,” she said.
Ready to lead the squad at the World Cup, Msomi was grateful to have a quality team behind her as they looked to make the host nation proud.
‘Not alone’
“I’ve learnt to understand that I never have to do it all alone, or even have to feel like I’m alone or have to do all the work,” she said.
“I lead a beautiful team that is led by one of the best coaches in the world of netball (Norma Plummer). That alone comes with a lot of clarity and learning, which helps me so much.”
Working together, she felt the Proteas had the ability to shine in Cape Town by punching above their weight against the top teams in the world,
“It is massive that the World Cup is on our home soil and to be part of it is pretty exciting. I think we are ready to take on this challenge.”
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