South African netball captain Bongi Msomi has officially announced her retirement from the game, calling time on her distinguished career.
Msomi began playing netball at the tender age of 16 as a result of a chance encounter when she was asked to fill in while watching her friends play, but she fell in love with the sport from then on.
The versatile player quickly rose through the netball ranks, making the Under 21 South African Netball Squad in 2008 before captaining the Under 21 South African Netball Team in 2009.
Having then made her debut for the Proteas at the age of 23 in 2011, she continued to make an impression on the international stage, and was awarded the captaincy armband in 2016, an achievement that filled her with pride and will endure in her heart.
Msomi captained the Proteas to their most successful Netball World Cup performance to date in 2019, where they finished in fourth place.
Her inspiring performance helped to elevate the sport’s profile in South Africa, and she also served as team captain through the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Msomi most recently captained the team when South Africa hosted the Netball World Cup for the first time in Cape Town in 2023.
This was her fourth World Cup appearance, following three appearances at the Commonwealth Games. She retires with 171 Proteas caps, making her South Africa’s most capped netball player of all time.
Msomi has played for a variety of local and international teams, as well as extensive experience as a manager and coach for the University of Johannesburg.
She has quickly demonstrated tremendous coaching potential, as some of the players she is currently coaching are already members of national squads.
Msomi’s difficult upbringing inspired her to start the Bongi Msomi Legacy Project, which is based in her hometown of Hammarsdale in KwaZulu-Natal.
As Msomi formally declares her retirement, she expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming chapter in her life.
“The decision to retire comes after careful consideration, but I am so grateful that I can make this announcement with a full heart, knowing that I leave the SPAR Proteas and South African netball in a very healthy space. I am eternally grateful to all the coaches, colleagues and teammates who have played instrumental roles during my career – there are too many to mention, but you know who you are! Thisha (Mr SG Mncwabe), I will forever thank you for seeing the talent in me and going the extra mile in making sure I become more than just an athlete in netball.
“I would like to make a special mention of coach Norma Plummer, who took lots of time aways from home (at her age) to be of such great influence in our country. You are such an inspiration to me, and you definitely kept me going on the court much longer than I thought I might have. From you, I learned how to lead selflessly, as well as to see, love and understand the in-depth part of coaching, and to appreciate the sport even more. Thank you for everything you’ve done for netball in our country. You and your team have been awesome.
“Of course, a special thank you also has to go to my wonderful family and my partner Raeesa, who have supported me every step of the way on this journey. Another message of immense gratitude must go to my other ‘family’, Roc Nation Sports International, for believing in me from day one and offering incredible support and guidance on and off the court.
“A massive thank you must go to Netball SA for backing me and for respecting me as the SPAR Proteas captain over the past years. It has been a great honour to work with you all and I appreciate you so much. I will also be forever grateful to my various sponsors and partners that have been part of this wonderful netball journey.
“Although it is the end of one chapter, it is now the start of another that I am so excited about. I remain as passionate as ever about coaching netball, and I cannot wait to continue developing this side of my career, with special thanks to the University of Johannesburg for already allowing me to begin this process.
“I will remain a proud ambassador for the beautiful sport of netball, and I will remain fully committed to maintaining my humanitarian and philanthropic endeavours. To this end, I look forward to being able to give more of my time and attention to the Bongi Msomi Legacy Project and various community outreach projects and grassroots development, particularly in places such as my home town of Hammarsdale.
“In many ways, this is just the start of big things to come.”
Photo by Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix
