The Sunday Mail
Brighton Zhawi
Sports Reporter
The Zimbabwe Netball national team will this week leaves for the Fifth African Netball Championships amid high expectations following what head coach, Ledwin Dondo, called one of the best preparations in the sports’ history.
The team leaves this Wednesday for Botswana following a last minute change of the venue as initial hosts, Namibia, said they could no longer hold the competition.
Zimbabwe netball president Letitia Chipandu told The Sunday Mail Sport that Africa Netball had officially informed its members of the latest development last week
“Africa Netball officially communicated with its members that Namibia have failed to host the tournament and Botswana, who hosted the previous edition will now host this year’s event,” said Chipandu, who is also Africa Netball vice president.
She said that the competition dates and Team Zimbabwe’s travelling arrangements, however, remain the same.
“The tournament will still be played from June 27-July 4 at Bona Courts and we are glad Botswana is closer to us than Namibia,” she said.
The Gems had a three-week camp that began in Harare before moving to the Midlands town of Kwekwe after a local company, Glow Petroleum, funded the remainder of their preparations.
Dondo said: “To have three weeks with the team has given us more planning time, which made it easier to work out specifics.
“To be honest this is one of the best preparations we have heard in recent years and we are grateful to the association and all those who made this possible.”
“We might have missed out on the World Cup, but I would want us to win this year’s edition,” she said.
The coach, who is set name her final 12 players on Wednesday, was impressed with the team’s “willingness” to work and hopes that it will be exhibited at the tournament as well.
“We will name our final team on Wednesday and I am happy with the attitude demonstrated by the players we have in camp. They have been willing to learn and work.
“We have gone for younger players because we have the future in mind, but obviously we have included some seniors,” said Dondo, who revealed that they were also “picking some notes” from last week’s Diamond Challenge that featured hosts South Africa, Malawi, Uganda and Zambia.
Zimbabwe missed out on a World Cup berth, finishing fourth were top three teams Uganda, Zambia and hosts Botswana qualified, in Gaborone last year.
The aforementioned teams together with South Africa and Malawi will represent Africa at the Sydney World Cup in August and the Africa Championships acts as a preparatory event for these teams.
