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Ellina Mhlanga
Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE senior national netball team brought business to a standstill at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport yesterday morning as they turned up in a merry mood ahead of their departure for the 2023 World Cup to be held in South Africa.
The players drew the attention of fellow travellers with their powerful singing and dances at the airport, which was testament to the positive vibes in the camp.
The team, which has been in camp for almost a month, left for South Africa yesterday morning with assistant coach Tatenda Shinya confident they will leave a mark at the upcoming Netball World Cup to be staged on African soil for the first time.
The 16-team competition is due to take place from July 28 to August 6 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Speaking on the sidelines of the team’s send-off organised by their principal sponsors Nedbank earlier this week, Shinya expressed confidence they will leave a mark at the tournament. Zimbabwe will face England, Barbados and Wales between Sunday and next Wednesday in friendly games.
“The team is now ready. We just can’t wait to be in Cape Town, South Africa, so that we can fulfil the journey that we have started. All the girls are equally fit and also eagerly waiting for the tournament.
“And looking at the friendlies that we are going to play, I am sure they are going to help us a lot in building one or two things that are left in terms of combinations with the ladies that came from Australia and England respectively.
“But I am sure we are now good to go, just can’t wait to beat Australia on the 28th.”
Ranked 13 in the world, Zimbabwe were drawn in Pool A together with the world’s number one side Australia, Fiji ranked 19 and Tonga, who are ranked seven, in the preliminaries stage one.
They get the ball rolling with a game against Australia on July 28. In their 2019 meeting at the World Cup in Liverpool, England, Zimbabwe went down 73-37 to Australia.
However, as they brace for the upcoming World Cup, the Gems are hoping to give Australia a good run.
“It is always good to play the best team in the world. We are going there with less pressure compared to them. They have a point to prove, we have nothing to prove against them.
“We just want to go there, play our game, stay focused, concentrate on everything that we are going to achieve during the World Cup. And I am sure winning against them it’s a bonus to us. But playing well is what we expect more.
“But actually we are not just going there to participate, we are going there to compete and win games. So I am sure Australia will have a lesson of their life come on the 28th.” said Shinya. Zimbabwe will then play Fiji the following day and Tonga on July 30.
“Fiji is an average side but if we underestimate them, netball is a one-point game, so once we make a lot of mistakes anything can happen.
“So we are going there extra cautious because you never know how they are preparing also. But we have been watching their games. They seem to be average; they are not improving much but they are heading somewhere positive.
“Then looking at Tonga, I think that team is overrated when I look at how they play and the age-group of their players. We just need to be extra cautious because I am sure (being) ranked seventh, it means you are doing something good. “So we just need to be positive always, stay focused and concentrate on our games,” said Shinya.
The Gems assistant coach said they were all excited for the assignment ahead.
Online Reporter