Ex-netball star reminisces about glory days

Mariental-born former United and Namibian national netball team defence stalwart Magda van Schoor was once described by ex-Tigers opponent and star goalshooter Ndemu ‘Demolition’ Hipondoka as “not an easy player to tantalise with the ball, she had very perfect timing and she was hard but never rough”.

The retired star started playing netball in Standard 1 at Hoërskool Karasburg, where she was also coached by Tokkie van Zyl – a former Springbok player.

“I played for the school’s first team while still in Standard 3 and by the time I was in Standard 7, I was playing for the pre-independence South West Africa schools team, until my matric year. I was always a fierce competitor on the netball court,” Van Schoor says.

“I always made sure that I was super fit before a netball match. I was a strong player with endurance and I had very good timing which made me a great interceptor of the ball. I always gave my best for my team and I was always committed to my team and coaches.”

Hoerskool Karasburg was a very small community of 250 pupils from Standard 1 to Standard 10, she relates.

Besides her netball prowess, Van Schoor also participated in athletics at school, only taking part in the field items like javelin and shot-put because she did not have the speed to race in the sprints.

The former goal defender, who is now lives in Windhoek, linked up with United after former United player Anne-Marie Strauss asked her to join them.

“I was returning my bursary to the civil service and one of their former star players, Strauss, was also working there. We met in the corridors and she asked me if I didn’t want to go play for them. She played for South West Africa and the Springbok B team.

“No rightfully thinking person would turn down the opportunity to play for United, I mean they were the team to beat at the time. They had stars like Mariaan Buys and Mariaan Labuschagne and they were coached by Nico Smit, who was the best coach in the country at the time,” she says.

She heaped a lot of praise on Smit, who she describes as a good and strict coach who had the capacity to bring out the best of his players.

Van Schoor mentions her selection for the Namibian side that went to play in the World Netball Championship in Australia in 1991 as the highlight of her netball career.

She went on to turn out for the national team for a very long time, while she also played an uninterrupted 20 years for United Netball Club.

“It was an absolute pleasure to associate with all the national team teammates, the team spirit was fantastic and I also made teammates for a lifetime. I mean friendships have been forged that are still standing to this day,” Van Schoor says.

“Another highlight was at the Holiday Inn in Cape Town when United played against a team from Bellville which fielded Springbok team players like Annie Kloppers and Rese Hugo, despite the talent and experience in their team, they only beat us with an odd goal.”

She says she never received offers to play netball in South Africa because she feels she was probably not good enough to play in the top league.

With the national team, the former United goal-defender mostly participated in tournaments in South Africa, where they played against provincial teams, and she also had a taste of the All-Africa Games, exposing her to top class continental netball.

As for her biggest regret as a netball player or in life, Van Schoor, a mother of two, names not going to university to study law.

The public relations officer for the Meat Board of Namibia for the past 28 years, also works as a real estate agent after hours.

“This is quite an exciting and interesting job, otherwise I won’t be here for almost two decades. I am enjoying working for this company. But like it is the case with any other company, the job also comes with its challenges.

“My biggest challenge is to keep all the stakeholders satisfied and to always provide them with information that they want from us, especially for those in the rural areas. I am also tasked to build a good image of the Meat Board and I am responsible for all the branding.”

Van Schoor says she’s happy with her achievements as a netball player, and she believes representing your country at national level is a huge honour.

She names the two people who have had the biggest infuence on her netball career, Van Zyl, who laid the foundation for her netball skills at junior level, and Smit, who was responsible for her growth at senior level.

And as for her toughest opponent on the netball court, she didn’t hesitate to mention former Villagers and Black Africa star Joan Smit.

She says nowadays she is no longer involved in netball, and recently developed a liking for cycling – having participated in the 109km Cape Argus Cycle Tour and the gruelling 397-kilometre Nedbank Desert Dash.

She attributes her consistent performances for the team to always giving her all, adding that netball is a team sport and the entire team is dependent on each other.

She admits to missing the gruelling training sessions and cheering crowds at the netball court “but I always console myself with the mere thought that I enjoyed playing netball”.

“Been there, done that.”

Van Schoor, who mostly misses the camaraderie that prevailed among the players, says she is happy with how her life panned out after her playing days and she is still big friends with two of her former teammates, Ronel Moolman and Florene Louw.

She also comes across the sisters Joan Smit and Irene Louw in town every now and then.

She advises young netball players to “train hard”.

“Always remember that the basics of any sport are the most important fundamentals. If you have talent, develop it then the opportunities will come your way,” Van Schoor says.