Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga-Zimpapers Sports Hub
AS the Gems continue with their preparations for the upcoming Celtic Cup set for Scotland next month, Zimbabwe Netball Association technical director John Banda has challenged the senior team to step up their game for this year’s edition of the tournament.
The Gems regrouped in Harare this week and will conclude the camp with a tri-nations tournament that will also feature Botswana and Malawi.
The games will be key in the selection of the final team for the Celtic Cup to take place from November 26 to 30 in Scotland.
Zimbabwe, ranked 13th on the World Netball Rankings, will join Wales, ranked sixth, Northern Ireland ranked 12th, seventh-placed Uganda, Namibia, who are 15th and the hosts Scotland ranked 10th for the expanded edition of the tournament.
Last year Zimbabwe were the only African country to participate and they secured bronze in the four-team competition.
Banda said with Namibia and Uganda coming in for this year’s edition, it brings a fresh dimension to the Gems’ challenge and aspirations.
“We are looking at a situation whereby we are now going for the Celtic Cup. These are ranking games now and Namibia has taken a giant leap,’’ Banda said.
“They are right at our neck. They are now ranked number 15. And those are the guys who would want to unsettle us.
“We now have Uganda, and we now having Namibia and ourselves. So, the three of us (African countries), and the better-ranked team there is Uganda.
“Last time, it didn’t go well with them when they lost to us in the Africa Cup last year.
“And this actually means they are coming to prove a point that they are a better team than us. We also beat Namibia. Namibia has always been a problem.
“So, we really need to work so hard so that we can also win against both Namibia and Uganda.
“Losing to Namibia would mean lowering our rank and those guys would be ranked better than us,” said Banda.
Zimbabwe beat Uganda 50-49 in a tightly contested match during the Africa Netball Cup last year in Namibia.
It was a big win for the Gems, upsetting the She Cranes, who are better ranked than them.
They went on to defeat Malawi 48-42 to get a bronze in the third-place play-off of the annual continental netball tournament.
As Zimbabwe brace for the forthcoming edition of the Celtic Cup, they are also looking at the Africa Cup scheduled for December 8 to 14 in Malawi.
They have to cover most of the groundwork now ahead of the two competitions.
“I am just praying that the coaches, when they come up with their final 15 players, are also aware of the daunting task that we have got, the Celtic Cup and the Africa Cup,” said Banda.
The ZINA technical director noted that all the work being put in to come up with a strong Gems side is also key in their quest to qualify for the 2027 World Cup to be hosted by Australia, come the qualifiers next year.
“And then comes 2026, when we are playing our Africa Qualifiers, whether we are going to qualify or not, I think these games we are playing this year, they have got a very huge bearing on the expected outcome in the next year, whether we qualify or we don’t qualify.
“It also depends on the preparations we would have had right now and the way we are going to play during these two major competitions, the Celtic Cup and the Africa Cup,” Banda said.
Peter Tanyanyiwa