This year’s SA Sports Awards had Netball South President Cecilia Molokwane speaking on how female athletes are treated in sports.
As reported by Zimoja, the former netball player and coach was candid about the treatment of female athletes not getting the same regonisation as male athletes, adding that, females were not celebrated enough in sports.
The news publication, IOL stated that in 2023, an AfriForum documentary was posted on YouTube which highlighted the allegations of sexual assault, inequality and the removal of key players from significant roles in Netball SA against Cecilia, adding that, the documentary’s focal point was to point out to a scenario in 2013 where a coach was suspended, only to be reinstated in 2019, highlighting World Netball’s lack of intervention.
Despite doing well at last year’s Netball World Cup, Cecilia was saddened by not getting recognition at this year’s Sports Awards, an award ceremony that seeks to celebrate the best players in sports.
The entertainment publication reported that South Africa ranks in the top 5 in netball and that the SA Netball team ranked sixth during last year’s World Cup.
Despite being nominated in over 20 categories for the 2023 Hollard Sport Industry Awards and not winning anything, Cecilia strives for netball to be more noticed.
She also noted that the decision-makers are not known, adding, “It’s not about an individual, it’s about a federation. The year 2023, was declared as the year of female sports. We were calculating as a country that women in sports did well. But at this year’s awards, I did not see a lot of women on that stage.”
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