Netballer Gretel Bueta welcomes baby boy

After pausing her netball career with a dream of starting a family, Queensland Firebirds star Gretel Bueta has announced the birth of her baby boy.

Queensland netballer Gretel Bueta has given birth to a baby boy.

Sharing the news to social media, the 27-year-old Queensland Firebirds and Australian Diamonds star announced that she and husband Niko Bueta had welcomed their first child, a son named Bobby, at Mater Mothers’ in Brisbane this week.

Gretel and Niko Bueta with their newborn son, Bobby. Picture: Instagram/ @gtippett

“Bobby Bueta. We love you so much!!!” Gretel wrote alongside a photo of their newborn wrapped in blue.

Niko added: “We are officially Mum and Dad to our beautiful little man, Bobby Bueta. Feeling so blessed and bursting with love.”

Having always hoped to become a mother, the star goal attack chose to sit out the 2020 Super Netball season after falling pregnant and plans to return to the court this year.

In November, Gretel said she’d grown as a netballer by assisting on the sidelines in 2020 and was looking forward to returning to the game as a mother with the support of the Firebirds.

“I wanted a family so badly that I was OK with stepping back,” she said at the time.

“We’re very lucky in that we do have the opportunity to make that choice and be supported by the netball community.”

Gretel Bueta paused her netball career to start a family and plans to return to the sport in 2021. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

“What this year taught me, I learned a lot about the game and myself on the sidelines and watching the girls. I was a little bit more of an instinct netballer and then when I took a step back and was forced to watch on the sidelines I started to pick up things from the game that I’d never really understood when I was out there and in the heat of the battle, so hopefully this year on the sidelines has made me a smarter netball player.”

“I know everyone’s journey is so different back after a baby, so depending on how my body goes I’ll just take it one step at a time and not be too hard on myself.”

Kim Ravaillion, who welcomed her first child last year, will also return to the Firebirds in the 2021 season.

“That was really exciting with Kimmy announcing she was coming back into the purple, just to have another mother in the team and someone for our little boy to play with on the sidelines,” Gretel said.