Africa-Press – South-Africa. Banyana Banyana vice-captain Thembi Kgatlana apologised for not speaking to the media at OR Tambo International last week when she returned to South Africa from the World Cup, explaining that her time in Australasia had been an emotional battle following the loss of three family members while she had been on national duty.
Along with her Banyana teammates, the star forward, who either scored or had a hand in every Banyana goal at the World Cup, and the Proteas netball team were attending a Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture breakfast hosted by Minister Zizi Kodwa on Thursday.
Upon first arriving in New Zealand, Kgatlana learnt of the passing of her aunt and her great-grandmother, who had died within a day of each other. She decided then to go back home for a short while.
When she had returned to New Zealand once more, she then lost her aunt to cancer three days before the World Cup started, something Kgatlana said sapped her spirit.
Having suffered a torn Achilles tendon at last year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, she had returned to action just before the World Cup and had wanted to repay the faith shown in her during her recovery from injury.
“I hadn’t been with Banyana for a year because of my torn Achilles tendon and I was finally ready to represent South Africa,” Kgatlana said.
“I came into camp and my mom called and told me my father’s aunt passed away. I thought of going home, but I couldn’t because part of the team that included me, Andile, and Refiloe were part of the team issue (pay dispute) we were discussing at the time.
“The next morning, I woke up to the news of my great-grandmother passing away and I told the managers, ‘I need to go home, I can’t do this’.
“They gave me some time to be at home and when I came back, three days before the World Cup, my aunt passed away because of cancer.
“I went back to my room and reflected on how it had been a year since South Africans saw me play and I’m fit, even though I didn’t have much energy.
“I also wanted to be with my teammates, who sacrificed everything and fought.”
Kgatlana unreservedly apologised for not speaking to the media after she was among the first Banyana arrivals after their 2-0 last-16 loss to the Netherlands in Sydney.
They had made history by becoming the first South African national team to reach the knockout stage at a World Cup.
She said she had had a breakdown two days before one of their group games.
Kgatlana, who shared the stage with netball captain Bongiwe Msomi at the breakfast in Sandton, recounted how her teammates had come to her emotional rescue.
“I had a breakdown two days before the game and it was difficult, but I saw my teammates come back from training and I knew what was at stake,” Kgatlana said.
“We’d qualified for the round of 16 and I got strength from my teammates, and they prayed for me. I still wanted to go home but I couldn’t.
“I drew more strength, and you could’ve seen when I scored the winning goal, I lay down quietly because that’s how much it meant for me because of all the things I went through.”
While Kgatlana is preparing to join her American club Racing Louisville, she is using the time to grieve with her family.
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