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Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
This aptly describes the superb year by the country’s senior netball team, the Gems.
It’s a story of passion and determination. Nothing else.
The team wrote one of the most inspiring scripts in Zimbabwean sporting landscape this year.
As we approach the end of 2019, we take a look at the highs and lows in netball.
It hasn’t been an easy road for netball but this year, it was one of the sport codes that made waves in the country with the senior netball team making their debut appearance at the Netball World Cup in Liverpool, England, after they had booked their place at the event last year during the qualifiers staged in Zambia.
For a sport that has previously endured neglect and lack of support, the Vitality Netball World Cup brought some ray of hope and possibilities for the team with several sponsors coming on board to support the senior national team’s appearance at the global showcase.
It was one of the major positives for netball this year as individuals and corporates including mobile telecommunications giant Econet Wireless, National Foods and Simbisa Brands, among others, supporting the team financially.
The Gems, as the senior national netball team is affectionately known, went on to bring some smiles on the nation with their incredible performance at the world stage when they surprised many by finishing eighth at the event.
Zimbabwe were one of the four African countries that competed at the 16-team event.
Taking into consideration the team’s background and the challenges they faced and an environment not so conducive for camping, for a team going to the World Cup, some could have thought they were just going to add numbers in Liverpool. But the team held its own.
The Gems, who have over the years proved it’s more about passion, played with determination and style, winning the hearts of many at the tournament. They managed three wins against Sri Lanka, Northern Ireland and Barbados, which saw them coming eighth.
The senior national team’s participation at the World Cup generated a lot of interest for the sport back home where prior to their appearance netball was not really among the top sport codes in Zimbabwe that have huge following.
But the historic participation at the World Cup has seen the sport fighting for its space among the most popular sports in the country such as football, cricket and rugby.
However, it hasn’t been smooth sailing in netball as boardroom squabbles have been hogging the limelight of late, pushing the milestones the sport has made back into the shadows.
The Zimbabwe Netball Association has been accused of maladministration with several allegations being raised against the association.
Among the concerns raised by ZINA stakeholders include allegations the national association has multiple constitutions, lack of transparency and accountability.
ZINA have also failed to reach common ground with splinter league, Rainbow Amateur Netball League, which at some point, ahead of the World Cup, threatened to affect the national team as the mother-body threatened to bar players from the latter being considered into national teams.
Last year they had been directed by the Sports Commission to accommodate other leagues but nothing materialised.
The feud between the two parties has dragged on for almost two years and it’s only recently that the Sports Commission ordered ZINA to hold elections by January 31 next year as part of efforts to address the problems and bring sanity in the sport. They were also ordered to register RANL and allow the league to run.
Although ZINA have been reluctant to acknowledge the Rainbow Amateur Netball League, the splinter league have for the second year managed to run a viable league with Correctional Queens emerging the 2019 champions.
ZINA have also been found wanting after the Gems almost failed to fulfil their Africa Cup assignment held in Cape Town, South Africa, in October. The trip was hanging in balance as ZINA did not have the funds for the trip and it was only when National Foods intervened that the team finally travelled to Cape Town on the day the tournament took off.
Their campaign suffered a huge dent as they missed their opening encounter against Uganda. The latter claimed a walk-over win over the Gems as a result.
As that was not enough, the netball mother-body withdrew the national Under-21 side from the Spar Challenge in South Africa on the eleventh hour, for good measure.
The Young Gems had been invited to take on South Africa’s Spar Baby Proteas as curtain raisers during the Spar Challenge International Netball Test Series between South Africa and England recently.
The South Africans had committed to help Zimbabwe meet the other part of the expenses for the trip but this could not even inspire the national association to run around and seize the opportunity for the development of the sport.
South Africa had to engage Lesotho to replace Zimbabwe.
This could have been an opportunity for the junior side expected to take part in the 2021 World Youth Cup qualifiers scheduled for next year.
Looking ahead there is need to go back to the drawing board, reflect on the successes and failures 2019 brought into the sport.
And the focus should be the bigger picture, that is sport should be the winner at the end of the day.
It should not be about individuals’ ego but the sport and athletes at large, who are passionate about the sport and are willing even to overlook several challenges they have to endure just to play and live their dream.
Online Reporter