Veronica Gwaze-Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE Netball Association will be eyeing more than just silverware when their senior national team, the Gems, make their debut at the Singlife Tournament in Singapore.
Scheduled to run between November 29 to December 5 at the OCBC Arena, the Southeast Asian tournament draws together six nations in battle for silverware.
The Nedbank-bankrolled Gems need to shrug off competition from Samoa, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, hosts Singapore and Singapore A.
This will also be a World Netball Ranking contest, which means that every result carries weight beyond just silverware for the Gems and their opponents.
However, more than silverware and rankings, Zimbabwe is using the tournament as the first platform to build towards next year’s Africa Cup, with the hope of reclaiming their position among the continental giants.
“We are already building for the coming Africa Cup; that is our major target now, and the work cannot be done overnight. So, such tournaments as the Singlife are crucial as we build,” said ZINA Technical Director John Banda.
“The association is currently doing the groundwork, working around the clock because planning needs to be done in time and to ensure that everything is in place before camp resumes.”
The Gems are currently ranked 11th on the World Netball Rankings, but having lost to lower-ranked Kenya and Namibia at the recent World Cup Qualifiers in Nairobi, they have a status to reclaim.
Next year’s Africa Cup will be the first platform on which their hard work will be put to the test.
Hence, they want to get to the tournament well prepared, and that work begins in Singapore.
Zimbabwe will arrive in Singapore as the highest-ranked side, ahead of Samoa, who are in 13th position, Singapore in 22nd, the United Arab Emirates in 25th and Malaysia in 34th.
On paper, that makes them favourites, while on court, they must prove it.
“The mission is to collect as many points as we can to feed into our World Rankings so that we remain in the top 11, while also building for the coming Africa Cup; although the ultimate goal is the World Cup,” said Banda.
The Gems finished sixth out of 10 teams at the Africa Cup, returning home empty-handed after having lost to Kenya and Namibia.
The results placed their World Ranking status as Africa’s third-best team under threat while also giving lower ranked sides confidence that they can stun Zimbabwe on any day.
On the other hand, the unpleasant outing also ruined the Gems’ self-confidence.
Singapore offers a lifeline.
“We need to restore confidence in our team and our fans as well,” said Banda.
Head coach Ropafadzo Mutsauki is expected to blend experience with the youthful side that did duty at the Africa Cup, with at least 12 players getting into camp for the final build-up.
The camp is meant to allow the team to build strong combinations and restore the fine finishing that once made the Gems feared across Africa and beyond.
“The association is working round the clock to ensure logistics, travel and player welfare are sorted, so the players can focus solely on performance when the first whistle blows,” added Banda.
“When we played the Qualifiers in Kenya, we threw our new players into the deep end, some did well while others struggled.
“Exposure proved to be critical and such platforms as Singlife are important in that regard so our team will blend experience and youth.”
