Proteas star Ine-Mari Venter was still in diapers when Irene van Dyk’s sharp-shooting powered South Africa to their only ever Netball World Cup final appearance back in 1995.
But it was a seminal moment in South African netball with Van Dyk and her teammates returning to OR Tambo to a heroine’s welcome during the balmy early days of the newly-founded Rainbow Nation.
And even though Van Dyk has since emigrated to New Zealand where she morphed into a global superstar for the Silver Ferns, she left a legacy that inspired many young girls in South Africa, including Venter, to take aim at the net.
“I know she’s South African but Kiwi now, but it has to be Irene van Dyk (Venter’s childhood inspiration). She was the one that made me believe that South Africans can make it overseas, that you can make this a career. Growing up she was definitely someone I looked up to,” Venter exclusively told the IOL Sport Show.
🇿🇦🆚🏴 Keep shining and leading us to victory 𝗠𝗩𝗣 Ine-Marí Venter 🙌🔥
— Netball South Africa (@Netball_SA) July 28, 2023
🎯 43/47 (91.5%)#SPARProteas | #NWC2023 pic.twitter.com/Y1u40X2jdT
Twenty-eight years later it is Venter’s time to shine though at a first-ever African Netball World Cup. Having missed out on the last Netball World Cup in Liverpool in 2019 through a late injury, the Australian-based goal forward is even more determined to make this one count on home soil.
After overcoming an emotional anthem where her tears flowed freely, Venter certainly delivered with 43 goals in the Proteas’ roaring opening victory over Wales at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
"I wasn't tearing up, I was crying. It was special. I've been looking forward to this for four years," said the Saracens forward, who was named Player of the Match.
"When we were singing the national anthem, I felt pride. The tears came flooding and, luckily, it didn't affect anything on court. I was able to pull focus."
"The crowd was amazing and the atmosphere was overwhelming. But I've been emotional since this (Friday) morning.
"This World Cup means a lot for me because I missed out on the previous one due to injury. I'm still taking everything in, it's incredible for me."
Venter is hoping the Proteas can emulate Vyn Dyk’s legendary Class of 1995, but knows the road ahead is still a long one, starting with Sri Lanka on Saturday (4pm) and Jamaica (6pm) on Sunday to round up the group stages
"We made unnecessary mistakes at the end as there were opportunities to score three or more goals, or lose the ball, or had what they call unforced errors," Venter said.
"So, we'll be looking at that ahead (in the tournament) and it's something we'll be working on to minimise those mistakes. We could've won with a lot more if we minimised those errors.
“We ended fourth in the previous World Cup, and although I wasn’t there, I was with them every single minute of the way, watching from Australia.
“We are definitely aiming for a podium finish. We want to make ourselves proud, and make our nation proud.”
IOL Sport