I recently attended the Asian Region Championships with the President of Netball Australia, Noeleen Dix.
Girls and women from all over Asia – Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, India and Pakistan – competed for the Championship.
What stood out?
The power of our sport to bring women from different nations and cultures together.
We watched Nepal who learnt the game from the internet, athletes wearing culturally appropriate clothes, the national songs, dances and costumes at the celebration dinner.
Netball in Australia is making some ground in this area and our partnership with the Federal Government to deliver the ‘Racism – it stops with me’ message forms part of our strategy.
The Diamonds partner the Australian National Preventative Health Agency is working with us on the “Be the Influence” message which focuses on responsible use of alcohol.
Why am I telling you about these partnerships?
It is to illustrate the power of netball to change the lives of girls, women and their communities.
We see it in the Pacific where our project focuses on building capability in netball communities and increases the political and economic influence of women.
We see it in India where our program gives girls livelihood skills.
And importantly we see it in communities around Australia – connecting women, celebrating and supporting them throughout their lives.
This is an edited extract of a speech delivered at Allphones arena before the Third Netball Quad-Series Test.