Captain Bongi Msomi retires from netball
SPAR Proteas Captain Bongiwe Msomi hangs up her netball boots
She came, she played, she inspired a nation.
Legendary captain of the South African Netball Team, Bongiwe Msomi announces her departure from the sport. While her time on the netball court may come to an end the impact she has made on countless young girls and sports fans will last forever.
She is a maverick who lead our SPAR Proteas team in her lengthy career of four Netball World Cups and three Commonwealth Games.
Msomi joined the SPAR Proteas in 2011 at the age of 23 and assumed the captaincy in 2016 until her retirement in 2023. She led the team during the 2019 and 2023 Netball World Cups in Liverpool and Cape Town, respectively.
Here's what our queen of the court had to share:
The decision to retire comes after careful consideration, but I am so grateful that I can make this announcement with a full heart, knowing that I leave the SPAR Proteas and South African netball in a very healthy space. I am eternally grateful to all the coaches, colleagues, and teammates who have played instrumental roles during my career - there are too many to mention, but you know who you are! Thisha (Mr SG Mncwabe), I will forever thank you for seeing the talent in me and going the extra mile to make sure I become more than just an athlete in netball.
With 171 caps under her belt, Bongi Msomi is currently the most capped player in the history of the team thus far. Msomi also played in Australia for Adelaide Thunderbirds and in England for Surrey Storm and Wasp before returning home to coach the University of Johannesburg and playing for Gauteng Golden Fireballs in the Telkom Netball League.
She entered this spot as a true role-model, fantastic coach and phenomenal player and she now leaves the sport with big shoes to fill.
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"Being one of our longest-serving captains and the most capped player is a milestone we can never take lightly. I think as a federation, we need to look at how we archive the experience that our senior players – on behalf of the federation, we would like to wish Boh everything of the best. She might be done playing, but the door is open for her here; this is home for her,” said Cecilia Molokwane, Netball South Africa President.
We can't wait to catch up with Bongi when she is back in Mzansi. Stay tuned for more in this developing story, we will bring you the latest at East Coast Radio.
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