Moorosi Tsiane
THE Lesotho Netball Association (LNA) has introduced a new league, the Super League.
Netball followers were treated to an extravaganza when the inaugural 2019 Netball Super League action roared into life yesterday at the C.T.C Grounds.
Featuring eight teams which finished in top four positions in both the A and B streams last season, the series of matches are expected to run until next month.
LCS, First Number, Leseli and Butha-Buthe LMPS qualified from the A stream while the B stream is represented by National League winners Leqele High School, LDF, Mafeteng Central and Phuthiatsana High School.
LDF played First Number while the second match saw Leseli playing LCS.
The matches will continue today in Butha-Buthe where Butha-Buthe LMPS will face Leqele in the first match and will be followed by Mafeteng Central and LCS tie.
The third match will see Phuthiatsana playing LMPS before the big match on the day where LCS play their arch rivals Leqele.
To wrap up today’s fixtures, Phuthiatsana will face Mafeteng Central later in the day.
Lesotho Netball Association (LNA) public relations officer Boiketlo Hanyane said this new tournament is meant to promote competitiveness and growth among the netball teams.
“This is ultimately a new league which is even bigger than the National League,” Hanyane said adding: “it is going to run on an annual basis with teams from National League vying for promotion into this league”.
“We will be promoting four teams (top two from each stream) every season and the bottom four in the Super League will be relegated back into the National League. The reason for this is simply because we need to improve our standards and we can only achieve that by having stiff competition among our teams.”
She said the eight teams will be playing in a round robin format and the prizes are yet to be decided for the winners of the series.
“We are yet to decide on the prizes for the winners because we are still trying to source sponsors. We have written to different companies since last year and we just hope that we will finally get something this year,” she said
The Super League will run concurrently with the National League which was also resumed yesterday at CTC Ground.
Hanyane said there have been positive responses this year as they have 24 teams this year while last year, they had 20 registered teams.
“There are some positives although I think we still have a long way to go. However, this season we have 24 teams that have registered. The challenge is still with male teams because they are just few and that is one other reason why they don’t have their own Super League and just play in National League only,” Hanyane said.
National League this season include new comers City Eagles, Focus, Mapetla, Thetsane High School, Super Stars, World Cats, Prince and Ntaote Roses which will be playing in A stream.
The B stream is made up of Masitise High School, Liphakoe, Patlong, Lerotholi Polytechnic, Likoekoe, Lesia High School, Maseru City Council and Mount Moorosi.
Male teams are Leseli, Masitise High School, Focus, Prince Stars, Liphakoe, Lerotholi Polytechnic and Mafeteng Central.
Results:
Stream B: MCC 54- 15 Lerotholi, Likoekoe 36-7Liphakoe.
Stream A: Focus 17-27 City Eagles.
Males: Prince 13-23 Lerotholi, Focus 19-28 Leseli.
Super League: LDF 40-28 First Number.
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