A group of female immigrants with a passion for netball have come together to play the sport in Dublin.
Leading the charge is Metro Éireann columnist Mariaam Bhatti, who grew up in South Africa and played netball whenever she had a chance.
“Outside school, we made our own balls out of plastic bags and made our own goal posts on open fields, and played it every time we were not doing chores,” she said.
Netball began in the late 1800s in England, inspired by early versions of basketball, and is mostly played by women and girls. The sport is most popular in Common-wealth nations, but also across Europe.
Bhatti said she had been looking for a netball club to join in Dublin since 2011 but none were convenient to her. So she took the DIY route and decided to start a team of her own, comprising members of immigrant communities.
“Considering that many women I know who like the sport have no jobs, rely on spouses or are asylum seekers, it makes sense to start our own club that will be central and cater for those with no income or earn too little to afford travelling and paying to play,” she said.
“I think this will be a great channel for integration as many existing netball teams have been around before migration started and have more Irish players than any other people.
“I think when we start signing up for leagues both us and other teams will, without doubt, benefit from the process,” she added.
Anele Moyo, who played netball in both Malawi and Zimbabwe, was thrilled to hear about the club and was eager to sign up.
“When [Bhatti] told me about the team and playing netball here, I thought it was a really good idea,” she said. “It’s something that I like to do and I was really excited when I heard that she wanted to start it.”
Like Bhatti, Moyo also grew up loving the sport and has been playing it since she was in primary school. She’s now looking forward to more opportunities to play, once the league is up and running.
Finding a place to play is the next step for the netball league, and Bhatti has been working with sports officers in Dublin City Council to secure an indoor space within walking distance of the city centre.
“We were told [by the council] that we will be initially given the space for eight weeks, and if we show our commitment to really use the space, there will be a longer arrangement,” she said. “It is very helpful of them, so we will be happy to have more people signing up. We also encourage people to come forward and bring their expertise and skills, which is what this new team needs.”
Bhatti noted that aside from helping to keep fit, netball is also a great way for immigrant women to meet.
“We are hoping it will bring women from all different backgrounds together, that have played the sport before and those mainly looking for something new to try out,” she said.
