Star netballer named best centre court player at national championships

Keyana Philander, 18, a Grade 11 pupil at Portland High School, was named the best centre court player in her division at last week’s national Telkom Netball Championships in Bellville. Her ball distribution skills and accurate passing caught the judges' eyes, as she was also named in SA Netball’s Top 35 talent identification programme, following the tournament, which ended last Friday.

Although a bit nervous in the opening stages, the young player quickly found her rhythm to help the Western Cape Willows under-18 side clinch the gold medal. 

“The fear of getting injured, and the physical toll on my body playing tough games back-to-back, was no joke,” she said.

“We had one training camp ahead of the tournament, so our time to bond and build chemistry was limited, but we made the most of it and gave our all on the court,” she said.

Born into a family that loves netball, Keyana has been playing since a young age, mostly at centre but equally comfortable on wing defence (WD) and goal defence (GD).

The only player from Mitchell’s Plain selected to represent the province on behalf of SA Schools Netball (SASN), Keyana has been a regular in the WP setup since Grade 9 and made this year’s Western Cape squad following a series of stringent trials, the last held in Oudsthoorn earlier this year. 

“I’ve been playing netball for 11 years now. I took a short break in 2020 due to COVID-19, but returned to Weltevrede in 2021,” said Keyana, who is also a member of Weltevrede Netball Club.

“I enjoy the thrill of competitive matches and the bond I share with my teammates, especially at Mitchell’s Plain Sub-District with my club. I’d like to keep improving my stamina, defensive technique, and ability to read the game better,” she said.

Portland High netball coach Tania Solomons has known the star player since she started at the school in Grade 8.

“She plays well no matter where she plays,” said Solomons. “She is tall, so she intercepts very well and is a brilliant defender and accurate goal shooter. 

“But more importantly,” Solomons said, “she carries the team as a centre. She avails herself for the ball and makes sure that it goes to the goal shooters.” 

Apart from Keyana, Solomons said, another player from Portland High, Bianca Solomon, was selected by the Cape Town Netball Federation.  Her team also won gold at the championships, Solomon said.

“We are extremely proud of them. Our players can compete against any club or school,” she said.

Western Cape Willows coach René Booysen agrees, saying: “She is one of a few players skilled in both attacking and defensive play.” 

“She plays multiple positions - from centre to wing defence, goal defence to goal attack - she is a star that shines bright on court, her deep-rooted passion for the sport and skillset are evident,” Booysen said.

"This is the highest level of competition for school players. The next competition is the National Top Schools Challenge, where provincial winners compete," she said

“The players undergo multiple trial rounds to qualify for provincial trials. From these, three teams per age group are chosen to represent the province," she said.

“To have been selected as the best mid-court player is a massive achievement for Keyana, she’s a star and a player to watch going forward,” said Booysen.

Mitchell’s Plain Netball Union chairman, Igshaan Brenner, said the Mitchells Sub District was well represented at last week’s championships, with five players from the area part of the Cape Town Netball Federation's under-19 Western Province B team that won gold.

“This means Mitchells Plain players are making an impact at national level,” he said