South African netball captain Bungi Msumi admits that if someone had told her about her 16-year-old self that she would be competing in four World Cups of netball, she would have made fun of them.
Entering the netball court for the first time as a teenager, the 35-year-old could never have imagined that she would one day lead her team to their first Netball World Cup on home soil.
With the event just weeks away, Musumi is relishing the prospect of meeting her Spar Proteas teammates in Cape Town this week as they finalize their preparations ahead of the tournament.
Many have played against each other for their respective teams in the Telkom Netball League (TNL) but will now join forces ahead of the event which takes place at the Cape Town International Convention Center from 28 July to 6 August.
“TNL has been really good for us, I think. One has to be fit for the match and have some competition before heading into the final preparations for the World Cup and that’s what we were getting,” Masmoumi explained.
“It will be great to get together again with everyone to fully prepare and know where we are as a group. It is tremendous to have the World Cup coming to us and to be a part of it is very exciting.”
After taking over as captain for the first time in 2016, Musumi believes she has grown in the role, especially since the last Netball World Cup in 2019, where the Proteas finished fourth.
“I’ve learned to understand that I never have to do everything on my own,” she said, “or that I should even feel like I’m on my own or have to do all the work.”
“I lead a beautiful team led by one of the best coaches in the world of netball.
“That alone comes with so much clarity and learning, which helps me so much — to be selfless and brave but also to understand my abilities, and to trust in myself and the people I lead with.”