Netballer Ama Agbeze: ‘Sometimes my only aim was to get out of bed’

In the first of a new series of stories on how Covid-19 changed sport, the former England netball captain tells of her mental health and fears for disadvantaged groups once the crisis is over

For one week in Hamilton, New Zealand, last month the packed crowds roared, teammates hugged and onlookers stood shoulder to shoulder without a care in the world, no masks in sight. From more than 11,000 miles away, the coronavirus-free scenes in England’s netball series against New Zealand seemed to be broadcast from another planet altogether. Inside it, a familiar face stood on the periphery of the action. Instead of competing, the former England captain Ama Agbeze was present as a commentator, offering rich analysis from the sidelines. It was not exactly where she had planned to be.

Agbeze’s past eight months underline the struggles that some athletes are facing now, even if not all are prepared to speak openly. Nine months ago in late February, she was in the midst of a comeback. After the highs of captaining England to gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the 37-year-old spent much of 2019 dealing with the devastating blow of missing out on World Cup selection.

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