Although Kovsies would’ve been forgiven for going out on the town after clinching their spot in the semi-finals of the 2022 Varsity Netball tournament last night in front of an enthusiastic home crowd in Bloemfontein, the final whistle barely went when coach Burta de Kock said: “Now it’s back to planning!”
And this is how to make it two out of two next Monday against NWU in the second semi-final. UJ and Maties will battle it out for their place in the final on 17 October.
Last night it wasn’t the first time De Kock heaped praise on the rest of the Kovsies coaching team who have helped prepare the defending champions for their campaign this year. The name of Khanyisa Chawana has popped up again and again as this Protea player has been an integral part of Kovsies’ leadership setup.
Khanyisa started playing netball at a young age, representing her province at the U/12 level and getting national colours for the U/17 team. She was in Grade 10 in Tzaneen in Limpopo, when “Coach Burta” approached her with an invitation to come and play at Kovsies. And the rest, as they say, is history.
To receive good fortune is fun, but paying it forward is legendary. Being only a piece from a much bigger puzzle, KC (as Khanyisa C is affectionately known) humbly walks the Protea walk. She is in the South African training squad for the Netball World Cup taking place in Cape Town in July and August next year.
Varsity Sports sat down with the inspirational mid-court player and this is what KC had to say.
Dividing time between Kovsies coaching and training with the Protea group in Stellenbosch:
“We were in Stellenbosch and then asked Netball South Africa to release us for the Varsity Netball tournament. We look forward to returning to training in November.”
Role in the Kovsies coaching team:
“We are three coaches at the moment where coach Burth de Kock is the head coach. Karla (Pretorius) is a defending specialist and I focus on attacking play.”
The 2023 Netball World Cup:
“I’m very excited and hoping to make the final team. For us, it is the biggest and most important event on home soil. All of us have our friends and family supporting us, but this is going to be a different experience. Besides our friends and family, watching international netball live on television will inspire youngsters to want to continue. This is much bigger than us.”
Importance of Varsity Netball:
“In high school, I played netball for fun, but getting a bursary to study also was a sign of personal growth. The biggest part the University played, was to turn me into an educated athlete. My netball career only really got momentum at Varsity as the stage is much bigger and exposes you to so much more which is conducive to being called up to the national team.”
Biggest motivation:
“With the Proteas, we have this saying #greaterthanme. It is where we don’t only play for us, but create opportunities for up-and-coming talented athletes. You want to create a platform. You want to create a legacy for others to benefit from, whether it is in the system or without, it is conducive for them.”
By Jurgen Smith
