South African Olympian, Zahraa Bodiat, praises increased media coverage as this year’s inter-provincial water polo tournament in Cape Town will be broadcasted live on SuperSport Schools for the first time.
The competition, which is set to take place from 15-19 December 2021, will have 10 pools broadcasted as rising talent will have the opportunity to prove their abilities to national team selectors.
“I think school sports is where young, pure talent can be identified. It allows for recruiting and opportunities for young athletes,” revealed Bodiat to gsport.
“Many school athletes quit their sport after their school years because they lack opportunities to continue the sport. Furthermore, my teammates and I often go back to the SuperSport Schools platform and watch the games that have been live streamed so that we can see our mistakes and learn from them,” she added.
“At a young age, if you want to excel in your sport, it’s extremely important to grow and learn from your mistakes and find areas of improvement. SuperSport Schools streaming provides all this for young athletes, and I am very excited for them to stream our 2021 IPT.”
Bodiat is looking forward to competing at this year’s competition after last year’s instalment was cancelled due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
“It is my last year that I am eligible to play in this tournament and so I am really happy that I get one last chance to play.” – South African Olympian, Zahraa Bodiat
“I am extremely excited to be playing in the 2021 Interprovincial Water Polo Tournament. We missed out on the tournament last year because of COVID-19 so it will be great to compete and play again provincially. It is my last year that I am eligible to play in this tournament and so I am really happy that I get one last chance to play.
“Myself and my team, the U19A Gauteng Team, are hoping to win the gold medal this year. For the past 6 years of IPT, Gauteng U19A has won the gold medal in the U19 age group, and we are hoping to continue that legacy,” she explained.
As a young, rising female athlete, Bodiat encourages more media coverage and corporate giants to back women’s sport through sponsorship.
“I believe that women athletes across the board are greatly overlooked and disregarded. Arguably, women have been bred to work harder and do that little bit extra because of the drive that gender inequality has instilled in them and thus sponsoring women would be a valuable and rewarding investment in the long run.
“If we look at Water Polo specifically, there has been great action in South African Water Polo to support women. The South African Women’s Water Polo Head Coach (Delaine Mentoor) is the first female person of colour head coach that South African Water Polo has ever had. I would urge corporate giants to see that the world is changing, and that women’s sport is becoming more and more predominant. Corporate giants should realize this and begin investing and sponsoring in more female athletes,” she concluded.
Click here to check out the fixtures for the 2021 Water Polo IPT
Photo 1 Caption: South African Olympian, Zahraa Bodiat, praises increased media coverage as this year’s inter-provincial water polo tournament in Cape Town will be broadcasted live on SuperSport Schools for the first time. Photo: Supplied
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