By Kopano Dibakwane
Mpumalanga Sunbirds walked away with a bronze medal after a victorious display against Northern Cape Diamonds in the Telkom Netball League(TNL) Division 2, by winning 44-39.
The two teams which were playing for glory and reputation after failing to make it through the semi-final stage. Sunbirds appeared more tenacious than their counterparts as they managed to end the first half with a six point lead.
The third quarter saw an improved Diamonds team which fought hard to level the score. Althought Sunbirds were the dominant team with a great defence, strong interceptions, repeated deflections and defensive rebounds, the Diamonds applied pressure and took advantage of many scoring opportunities at their disposal.
The player of the match award went to Sunbirds wing defence, Tumelo Nkoe, who contributed to most of the goals scored by the Mpumalanga team.
Sunbirds coach Thembisile Mdluli, thanked the support from well-wishers who motivated her team to perform beyond expectations.
” To God almighty, thank you for the talent. To the Mpumalanga executive thank you for believing in me and knowing that I can make a difference to the team. To the Sunbirds team, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to be the leader that I never knew I was,” said Mdluli.
The Mpumalanga outfit has won the hearts of many netball lovers and more can be expected from them in the coming domestic tournaments.
