A member of the South African netball team, Yvonne Phiri, died in a car crash near Hartebeesfontein on Saturday night.
Phiri (21) was returning home from the national team’s training camp at the High-Performance Centre at the University of Pretoria. She had been included in the team to tour the United Kingdom in January.
Phiri, who played centre and wing defence, was in the South Africa team who toured Fiji and New Zealand earlier this year.
She had previously been a member of the Under-21 team who competed in the Cosana Games and toured the UK. She was a student at the University of the Free State, and played for the Lynx. She also represented the Free State at the interprovincial tournament in Port Elizabeth in August.
”Yvonne was a key player in the national team and we had great plans for her in the future,” said Mimi Mthethwa, president of Netball South Africa (NSA). ”Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to her family.”
Mthethwa said Phiri had the type of spirit NSA requires from its players. ”She had the right type of aggression, and the ability to maintain a sense of urgency from start to finish. We thought she was going to make a major impact, particularly playing at centre.”
Spar sponsorship manager Wendy Kruger said the sponsors were saddened by the news of Phiri’s death. ”It is a tragic loss to netball, and we extend our condolences to Yvonne’s family and friends, her teammates and Netball South Africa.” — Sapa