NMMU netball stars head for games in Scotland

[caption id="attachment_40922" align="alignright" width="405"] HEADING FOR GLASGOW: Port Elizabeth netball stars Zanele Vimbela, left, and Zanele Mdodana will be part of Team SA which leaves today for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Picture: FREDLIN ADRIAAN[/caption]

NELSON Mandela Metropolitan University netball players Zanele Mdodana and Zanele Vimbela believe the South African team have a good chance of securing a medal at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland.

The pair jetted off to Johannesburg this week to meet up with Team SA and their Proteas teammates before leaving for the games in Glasgow today.

The talented duo say the squad have the potential to bring back the gold medal from the tournament which starts in just over a week and lasts for three weeks.

Vimbela says she cannot wait for the games to begin and believes the team could do very well.

"Seeing that we compete against top teams and that we beat the likes of England, Jamaica and Malawi, we have a good chance to challenge for a medal," she said.

Both Mdodana and Vimbela are excited and proud to have been picked to represent South Africa.

This will be Vimbela's first time representing South Africa at the games, while Mdodana will be attending her third edition.

Mdodana, born and brought up in the Bay, began playing when she was 10 years old and plays either goal defence or wing defence.

"I'm a better tennis player, than I am a netball player," Mdodana said.

She played tennis throughout her early years, but was enticed to play netball because of her height.

She got serious about it during high school and that led to her being offered a scholarship from NMMU.

Mdodana has graduated with a BTech in sports management.

She is also a national record holder with 75 caps.

"I'd like to return with a gold medal," Mdodana said. "And also reach 100 caps for my country."

Vimbela, who plays goalkeeper- goal defence, is originally from Johannesburg and attended Aliwal North High School. She began her netball career in Grade 5. Her fondest memories from her high school playing days are having derbies against Burgersdorp High and also representing Eastern Cape Schools at various tournaments.

She represented SA as part of the invitational team at the Diamond Challenge, which was held in the Bay last year and also as part of the Fast 5 team that went to New Zealand in 2012.

Vimbela received a sporting scholarship from NMMU to study while she used her sporting skills to good effect for the netball team.

Vimbela is in the process of completing her post-graduate degree in group dynamics, with her major being sociology. - Amir Chetty