Proteas Netball captain Bongi Msomi has called time on her illustrious career and says she is in ‘a happy space’. Her career has spanned nearly two decades and Msomi who will be turning 36 in January has decided the time has come to close this chapter of her life on Friday, December 15 2023.
“More than anything it has to do with me being in a happy space in terms of how far I have gone with my netball journey and now being more excited about where the group is currently,” said Msomi.
“When I took on the leadership with the Spar Proteas I always hoped I could change things up and allow the girls that come in to learn as much as they can and to be the best that they can be.
“I can openly and honestly say that is exactly what is happening within the group, and I can feel free to say I’ve done my part.”
Proteas Netball captain Bongi Msomi
Msomi started her netball journey at the age of 16 and rose to the ranks where she made the SA u21 team in 2008 and within a year she became the captain of the that side. In 2011, two years later, she made her national team debut, showcasing the type of talent she had. That then lead to her becoming the Proteas captain in 2016.
She has led South Africa to their best finish at a Netball World Cup when the team ended in fourth place at the 2019 event and also took the team to the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. A certain career highlight for Msomi would have been captaining the Proteas at this year’s World Cup, which was held in South Africa. She says goodbye to netball with a whopping 171 caps, which means she has made the most appearances in the national team jersey.
She says when she started her netball journey many doubted her for various reasons but there are many facets of the legacy she wants to leave behind as she concludes her playing career.
“Whatever you want to work towards or whatever you want to achieve, it doesn’t matter who you are, your height, or whatever your circumstances are, you can achieve it and it comes with a lot of hard work. That is the person I am and I think a whole lot of players and the coaches I have worked with would have witnessed this.”
“I know I am the hardest worker in the room and be amongst the ones who want to work hard and because I knew exactly what that would do for my career. So that could be part of my legacy to say you cannot want it if you are not willing to work for it. That is how I have been over the years, which I am quite grateful for. I also love the idea of a Bongi that wants to give back, I just want to make sure that everyone feels part of something, feels appreciated and supported and just be who they want to be in this space. That is also part of the legacy.”
The Proteas will now face quite the overhaul, as coach Norma Plummer announced that she has taken charge of her final match, and veteran player Phumza Maweni also retired on Thursday, 14 December 2023.
Msomi feels the team is in good enough shape to deal with the loss of her and Maweni as two senior players who have retired.
“The girls should be ready, if you saw our recent Test series against England, it’s a fantastic young group coming through and great talent that gives me hope. The biggest thing I wanted to happen was to make sure when a senior player leaves it should be at the time we have done it all to make sure that we have groomed young players to come on board.
“I do honestly feel that our players that are there now are in good shape and position to take on the roles of leadership,” said Msomi. “We have created a space in our team where over the years everyone can have their role.”
Msomi has found herself quite busy off the court as she is both coach and manager for the University of Johannesburg’s netball team. She is part of a host of humanitarian and philanthropic projects, with Msomi’s challenging upbringing having inspired her to start the Bongi Msomi Legacy Project, which is based in her hometown of Hammarsdale in KwaZulu-Natal.
Photo caption: Proteas Netball captain Bongi Msomi has called time on her illustrious career and says she is in ‘a happy space’. Her career has spanned nearly two decades and Msomi who will be turning 36 in January has decided the time has come to close this chapter of her life on Friday, December 15 2023. In this file photo, Spar Proteas captain Bongiwe Msomi is pictured in action with the South African national netball team against Wales, during the 2023 Netball World Cup in Cape Town. Photo: Carel Stander / StanderPhotography
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