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21 August 2019 | Story Ruan Bruwer | Photo Varsity Sport
Netball
The UFS netball team celebrating their victory in last year’s Varsity Netball competition. They are the most successful team in the tournament’s history, with three titles (2013, 2014, and 2018).

Kovsies can lift the Varsity Netball trophy again if they repeat last year’s recipe of playing for each other, motivating one another, and giving their all in each game. This is what the captain, Lefébre Rademan, believes. 

The competition started yesterday, Monday 26 August 2019 with a repeat of last year’s final. The UFS women played Tuks in the Callie Human Centre at 19:00. The final score was Kovsies 42 - 63 Tuks.

“I believe we can retain the trophy if all the players’ heads and hearts are in the right place. We must play for each other and for the UFS. I don’t think we have a point to prove after what happened at the USSA, although we would like to set the record straight,” Rademan said.

The UFS netball team went unbeaten through the group stage of the USSA champs in July, but they lost their final two encounters to finish fourth.

The Kovsies received the best possible draw. Five of their seven matches are at home, three of them against traditional powerhouses Tuks, North-West University, and Maties. They only have to travel once (to Pretoria), where they will play matches on consecutive days.

“It is certainly a great advantage to have so many matches in front of your home support and only playing away twice (against the Madibaz and the University of the Western Cape).”

Rademan took over the captaincy from Alicia Puren, who finished her studies at the end of 2018.

The team also lost the services of Maryke Coetzee, Khomotso Mamburu, and Tanya von Berg, who were all extremely experienced.


News Archive

Gaza doctor speaks of hope and courage
2011-10-21

 
An emotional Dr Izzeldin Abuelaish talks about the loss of his three daughters 
Photo: Johan Roux

Listen to Dr Abuelaish's public lectures (audio)

In 2009 Israeli forces bombed the house of Palestinian doctor Izzeldin Abuelaish killing four people: three of his daughters and a niece. Speaking about this life-changing event, Dr Abuelaish delivered two public lectures at the University of the Free State (UFS) this week spreading the message of hope and peace.

Dr Abuelaish, who was introduced as the Nelson Mandela of Palestine by Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector, spoke emotionally about the loss of his daughters Bessan, Aya and Miyar.  He told the audience that there was no reason for them to be killed. His girls were armed with love, hope and education.

He urged people to have moral courage and encouraged them to strive for justice, truth and peace. When there is justice and truth, peace is a consequence. “As a medical doctor I never lose hope. By the end of this world we will forget what enemies did, but will never forget the silence of brothers.”

Dr Abuelaish spoke passionately about the role of women in society and said a country develops by how much it invests in women’s education. “We must realise the strongest members in a community are women. Women maintain the hope.”

Speaking about his life in the war, being born Palestinian, Dr Abuelaish said it was painful to hear that Palestinians are numbers and statistics. “When a soldier is killed in Iraq or another place, the screen speaks for days about what he ate and what he hoped for, others are figures and numbers.”

Dr Abuelaish, who wrote the book I shall not hate, A Gaza Doctor’s Transformational Journey of loss, Love and Change, said the death of his daughters made him stronger and more focused not to give up. “I swore to my daughters and God not to rest, I fully believe I will meet them one day. I will meet them with the big gift of justice.”  

Visit the website www.daughtersforlife.com to read more about Dr Izzeldin Abuelaish.

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