By Admire Machiwenyika
Zimbabwe national Netball team departed for South Africa on Thursday where they are set to battle it out in a three day Tournament ( Netball Diamond Cup) and the invitational tourney will be part of World Cup Qualifying round matches set for early next year.
The three day tournament will run from October 27 -30 and netball power houses South Africa ,Malawi, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe will battle it out for honours.
Zimbabwe netball national team captain Perpetual Siyachitema said that the tourney would be a good platform for the preparations team’s for World Cup Qualifying matches slated for early next year.
“This tournament presents us with much needed preparations ahead of the World Netball Qualifying Championships and Africa netball championships which will be held early next year so we are taking this tournament seriously but we are hoping to bring back a silver medal, ”said Siyachitema.
Siyachitema mention that the invitation to the tourney was a sign that the sport was slowly being appreciated and also developing in the country as the diamond cup is meant for top playing netball nations.
“The invitation to the tournament comes at time when put up a good show at the recent held Africa netball championship tournament in Malawi, this sign that the sport and our play as a country is on the rise,” said the national team skipper.
The skipper bemoaned the fact that the resentment and slow development of the game in the country was due to looking down upon by the society and the corporate world.
“People are looking down the sport and this has led to poor preparations ahead of international matches and enough time to prepare as they will be no funds to cater for the camp despite some of the achievements that we have made as a national team,” said Siyachitema.
The issue of lack of sponsorship has been a thorn in the flesh and the local Netball Super League is currently running without sponsor for sometime now
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