A team of experts from the International Federation of Netball Associations (IFNA) and IFNA Regional Federation, Africa Netball, arrive in Botswana today for the Inaugural Africa Coaching & Officiating Framework Seminar.
The Seminar is the start of a move to develop and implement a plan to raise the standard of netball across the Region, allowing the Region’s national teams to compete on the world stage.
IFNA Global Development Manager, Sarah Pickford said:
“Netballers in Africa clearly have the potential to take on and beat the best in the world on the netball court.”
In order to do this there is a need to develop increasingly effective coaching, officiating, governance and administration practices to support strong player pathways and competition structures.
This integrated approach is highlighted in IFNA’s new Strategy, Game Plan 2012-2016, launched in July 2011. The continued backing of UK Sport and the Commonwealth Games Federation has enabled IFNA to work with colleagues to explore how this can best be applied to benefit the Africa Region.
IFNA is excited to be able to assist Africa Netball and IFNA Members in working to raise standards of provision for netball, and looks forward to seeing African teams progressing up the world rankings, to compete at the highest level for years to come.”
Member Federations involved in the Seminar include:
• Botswana
• Lesotho
• Namibia
• Swaziland
• Uganda
• Zimbabwe
Delegates, with expertise in coaching and officiating, will not only benefit from the knowledge and experience of the IFNA team but will also play their part in planning the way forward for netball in Africa.
All delegates will then return to their counties and work with colleagues to develop structures that will allow their national teams to perform at the highest level. IFNA and Africa Netball will continue to support this process through Africa Regional Development Manager, Joan Smit.
The work here will link in with and complement the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa (SCSA) Zone VI Sport Education & Accreditation Framework (SEAF) and IFNA will be liaising closely with SEAS Project Officer, Mr Petros Munashe Mrape, to ensure the two projects link together.
Further work will be undertaken at the Africa Netball AGM in May 2012.
IFNA Board Member and Africa Netball President, Tebogo Lebotse said:
“Africa Netball presents great potential to grow the game of netball internationally. There is untapped talent and this workshop is a step in the right direction for Africa Netball to have a standard of how to tap in on that potential.”’
IFNA Africa Regional Development Manager Joan Smit stated:
“This is indeed a long-awaited opportunity for our netball coaches and officials in Africa. Most of the participants who will be in Gaborone attended the International Coaching Seminar that was held alongside the World Netball Championships in Singapore in July and they look forward to building further on the knowledge obtained. We are very excited that Africa will be the first continent to embark on such a project and I am confident about the success and sustainability of this project.”
No comments:
Post a Comment