Matibini: netball�s exciting prospect
Koketso Kgoboge | Friday September 23, 2016 15:24
After receiving the prestigious MVP award, she said her focus is now to achieve more at the 2017 youth netball world cup that Botswana will host. “It will be an overwhelming achievement to win both for the team and for myself in the home ground,” she said.
“I can’t wait for the world cup next year,” she said. Matibini began her netball career in 2008 at a tender age of 10, while a standard six pupil at Monarch Primary School here. In the same year, she joined TASC netball development side. In 2013 at 15, she broke into the TASC senior team and played regularly for the Tango girls in the 2013 My Spar League. She carried the experience to school where her prowess earned her a selection for Botswana Integrated Sport Association (BISA).
She represented BISA consistently for four years from 2012 to 2015 when she completed her secondary school studies at Mater Spei College. In 2012 and 2013, she helped the BISA team to a bronze medal in the Confederation of Schools Sports Association of Southern African (COSSASA) competitions held consecutively in Namibia. In 2014, she won gold at the COSSASA held in Zambia. Equally in her last Southern African Schools competition held in Gaborone in 2015 she won a silver medal.
She also represented Botswana with the under 19 team that won a bronze medal at the 2014 African Youth Games also held in Gaborone. After the youth games, Matibini earned a selection for the under 20 that won a bronze medal at the Zone Six competitions in Zimbabwe. The lanky defender is part of the Under-21 team, that is preparing for next year’s national youth world cup and she was part of the team that competed at the youth world cup qualifiers played in Gaborone recently.
Matibini singled out BDF Cats’ Ntebogang Motlakanosi as her all time netball idol. Her dream, while she was growing in the game, was to walk her idol’s footsteps into the national team. The dream came true at the recently ended Singapore six nations and in her debut tournament she scooped the MVP award. She said ahead of the tournament it was uncertain if she will make a break into the first team.
“We had a group of experienced players and I never envisioned myself playing at the tournament. I was called up in the third quarter of the first game and I never looked back. My coaches were impressed with the performance I put, even though we ultimately lost the game,” Matibini said.
“The atmosphere was encouraging and I enjoyed myself around the experienced players. I gave my all for the team, however to be voted the most valuable player was a distant thought. I am overwhelmed with the achievement, but most importantly I am happy to have made my presence felt at the senior national team. I wish to maintain my position in the team and will keep working hard to hold onto this opportunity,” she added.
Matibini, an all rounder player by nature said she has won accolades in different positions over the years, but she is yet to win in her preferred goal defence position. “I have individual awards I have won at the BISA competitions playing in different positions and the recent one (MVP at six nations) where I was playing wing defence. My best position is goal defence and my target is to be voted the best player in the position. I am hoping to achieve that at the (2017) youth world cup, nonetheless the mission remains to work hard for the team and win as a unit,” she said.