Young netball players will gain access to competition, coaching and some of South Africa’s leading athletes as Menlyn Park turns its shopping centre into a youth sports platform.
The Menlyn Fast 3 Netball Championships will run from 4 to 6 September, bringing 25 teams together across four age categories for three days of competition and development.
Beyond the tournament, the initiative is designed to expose young players to opportunities within the sport while introducing younger children to netball through dedicated clinics.
Members of the Proteas and Gauteng Jaguars will support the weekend, giving participants an opportunity to interact with players competing at the highest levels of South African netball.
The Gauteng Jaguars have established themselves as one of the leading teams in the Telkom Netball League and have helped develop players who have progressed to national representation.
Their involvement gives aspiring players an opportunity to see the pathway between grassroots participation and elite competition.
“For young players, being able to interact with athletes they look up to can be incredibly powerful,” said Nisha Kemraj, General Manager of Menlyn Park Shopping Centre.
“It gives them role models, creates aspiration and shows them that there is a pathway for those who are passionate about the sport.”
The development component will extend beyond players already competing.
Netball clinics will introduce younger children to the fundamentals of the game in an environment focused on participation, confidence and enjoyment.
“The netball clinics are equally important to us because youth development cannot only be about those who are already competing,” Kemraj said.
“We want to create an opportunity for children who may be picking up a netball for the first time to discover the sport, have fun and potentially develop a passion that stays with them.”
The tournament will use the Fast 3 format, with five-player teams competing in a quicker version of the game that places greater emphasis on movement, agility, decision-making and teamwork.
For Menlyn Park, the championships form part of a broader community and social investment approach that uses the shopping centre’s physical space and reach to create opportunities beyond retail.
“Sport has an incredible ability to bring communities together, but it can also play an important role in helping young people build confidence, discipline and teamwork,” Kemraj said.
“That is what makes this initiative particularly meaningful for Menlyn Park.”
The involvement of professional players adds a mentorship and aspiration component to the programme, allowing young participants to watch, learn from and engage with athletes who have progressed through South Africa’s netball structures.
For children attending the introductory clinics, the same platform provides an accessible entry point into organised sport.
“Menlyn Park is more than a place to shop. We have an opportunity to use our platform to bring people together and support initiatives that can make a difference in our community,” Kemraj said.
“Through Fast 3, we are creating a space where competition, participation and development can happen side by side.”
The Menlyn Fast 3 Netball Championships will take place at Menlyn Park Shopping Centre from 4 to 6 September, bringing young players, elite athletes, families and supporters together around grassroots participation and youth development.
