CAPE TOWN, July 27 (Xinhua) -- The South African city of Cape Town on Wednesday marked 365 days to host 2023 Netball World Cup, unveiling the first of a series of murals for the competition.
The artwork, which is 33 meters by nine meters, was painted on a wall of Langa Indoor Sports Center by South African artists Skumbuzo Salman and Ayabonga Ntshongwana, presenting themes of netball, women's sport, Cape Town, Africa, healthy lifestyle, women's empowerment and hope. After the unveiling, the teams of City of Cape Town and Langa played an exhibition match.
Cape Town is scheduled to host Africa's Netball World Cup from July 28 to August 6, 2023.
"Much preparation has gone into planning for the Netball World Cup since Cape Town was announced as the host city in July 2019, and we are ready to put on a world-class sporting display. We are very proud to host this competition and hopefully see the South African national netball team become world champions on home soil," Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said on the ceremony.
Cape Town official and board member of 2023 Netball World Cup, JP Smith, said organizers want the competition to benefit young aspiring netball players, providing them with opportunities to succeed in this sport, adding that the city will launch legacy projects of the World Cup to benefit and elevate the status of netball as a national sport.
According to the municipality, several netball activities are being rolled out leading up to the World Cup to raise awareness about the event, including unveiling several murals across the city in partnership with emerging artists from those communities.
The city spent over six million South African rands (about 360,000 U.S. dollars) in the last fiscal year to upgrade netball facilities in various areas. It has set aside another two million rands for upgrades in the current fiscal year.
The municipality is also partnering with the Cape Town Netball Federation to roll out an afterschool program focused on developing player skills, rules of play and teamwork as well as mentorships for coaches. ■