daniel chigunwe
Ellina Mhlanga Senior Sports Reporter
GEMS coach, Lloyd Makunde, has a positive mind as he leads his charges back into competition ,starting with the Pent Series next week, in Namibia.
The Pent Series begin on Monday and run until Friday.
The African Championships are scheduled for November 9 up to November 16.
Both events will take place in Windhoek, Namibia.
The travelling team was announced yesterday and they will be taking all the 16 players who were in camp.
Only Kudakwashe Muchongwe was dropped because she did not have a passport.
“You are going to see the new players in action. My observations, I think, they have gelled faster than what we expected,’’ said Makunde.
“As for experience, that’s how they get the experience, so when we get to the World Cup qualifiers, they know the feeling, and what is expected of them, at that level.
“I think they will last the distance because the way we have been training, they know what’s out there, and they will get help from other senior players.”
Senior players such as captain Felisitus Kwangwa, goal shooters Sharon Bwanali, Ursula Ndlovu and Patricia Mauladi, who plays in mid-court, form the core of the team.
They were part of the Gems team at the 2019 World Cup in Liverpool, England, and finished in eighth place.
Among the new players in Namibia are Nobukhosi Ndlovu, Nokuthula Mbano, Beatrice Busu and Sinethemba Ncube.
Makunde is also banking on captain Kwangwa’s experience.
“The physical aspect is almost there and we are now working on coming up with more combinations.
‘’We actually got the combinations but we want more, since we are playing more games, we need more approaches.
“Considering the team is being led by a captain, who has been playing in England, she is always encouraging them, and giving them some tips.
“She played in England for a whole season so, obviously, she has more experience now and the input she is going to give into the team is something new.
‘’We are expecting better performances.
“This is the first time we are playing two tournaments, within days of each other, so we are going to approach it cautiously, try to make sure that there are no injuries, and ensure enough time for players to recover.
“We need a medal, be it silver, gold or bronze,” said Makunde.
Team manager, Agness Chiroodza, said since they will be taking part in two tournaments, they need a wider pool of players
The Pent Series will feature Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
They will be joined by more countries for the Africa Championships.
Zimbabwe will open their account in the Pent, with a game against Malawi, on Monday.
They will then take on Kenya the following day.
On Wednesday they are up against Uganda before facing Namibia on Thursday.
Their last game is against Zambia on Friday.
The Gems are scheduled to leave for Namibia either today or tomorrow.
Final Team
Felisitus Kwangwa, Priscilla Ndlovu, Queen Sigauke, Sinethemba Ncube, Tatenda Dziva, Patricia Mauladi, Claris Kwaramba, Progress Moyo, Sarudzai Beatrice Busu, Nobhukosi Ndlovu, Sharon Bwanali, Lynnette Tanhira, Tafadzwa Matura, Ursula Ndlovu, Paidamoyo Tinoza, Nokuthula Mbano.
Online Reporter