Linda Moreotsene

Linda Moreotsene

As part of her preparations for the next netball World Championships, South African national team coach Carin Strauss' objective has been to improve her team's goal scoring average.

At the team's last training camp the goal shooters were taken through a rigorous exercise and according to Strauss players such as Tsakane Mbewe showed great improvement. When the camp wrapped, all four shooters had improved their average to 85percent.

The team will take on Fiji and Botswana in a tri-nations tournament at the University of Pretoria's Rembrandt Hall.

Fiji are ranked eighth in the world, just below South Africa, who are ranked seventh, and Botswana are ranked 18th.

When she took over as national coach, Strauss made it clear that she wanted the Proteas to have as much international competition as possible before taking on the giants of world netball - Australia, New Zealand and England.

A number of well-known faces, such as Precious Mthembu and Liezel Wium, are in the team, though Free State's Maryka Holtzhausen pulled out of the team owing to a knee injury that will sideline her for up to four months. A replacement is yet to be announced.

The next world championships will be in Singapore in 2011.

The team:

Liezel Wium (Boland), vice captain, Precious Mthembu (Ethekwini), Chrisna Botha (NW South), Tsakane Mbewe (Gauteng Central), Refiloe Mochaka (Gauteng Central), Erin Burger (Gauteng North), Zanele Mdodane (Nelson Mandela Bay), Amanda Mynhardt (Gauteng North), Elzet Engelbrecht (Free State), Zukelwa Cwaba (Free State) and Adele Niemand (Free State).