We wish the national netball team all the best as they leave the country this week to play in the Netball World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa.

This year’s NWC will be the 16th staging of the Premier competition. The tournament will be from July 28 to August 6 at the International Convention Centre in Cape Town.

This will be the first time for Africa to host the World Cup.

The national netball team dubbed the Fijian Pearls has competed at nine Netball World Cups. Fiji made its debut at the 1975 World Championship. From 1987 Fiji has only missed the 1995 tournament in Birmingham England.

The Fijians best finish at the NWC has been sixth, where they lost to South Africa 57-49 in the fifth-place play-off at the 1999 World Championship in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The Pearls are currently ranked 19th in the world.

After qualifying for the NWC in November last year, Pearls head coach Unaisi Rokoura stated that the aim is to make the top 12. That is a realistic goal despite the fact that it’s not going to be easy, but it is an achievable task.

Rokoura who was part of that 1999 NWC side, knows exactly what needs to be done to be up there with the best. It’s a step-by-step process.

At the NWC, the Pearls are in Pool A with Australia, Tonga Tala and Zimbabwe. They take on Tonga Tala on July 28, Zimbabwe on July 29 and Australia on July 30.

Our national netters have done their hard yards with Fiji Netball Association providing all it can for the side to undergo expertise training to enhance their performance.

Now, the onus is on us to keep supporting our women as they take on the world’s best at the NWC. Nothing is impossible.

Story By: Leone Cabenatabua

Feedback: leonec@fijisun.com.fj