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THREE Zimbabwean junior handball teams left the country yesterday for Cape Town, South Africa, where they will take part in the inaugural Young Masters international tournament at the weekend
The first Young Masters international tournament is being hosted by a German non-profit making organisation the GeBe Education and Sports in conjunction with the Young Masters Handball Club and Western Cape Handball Association of South Africa.
The two-day tournament, which will be held at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, is designed for boys and girls who are between 15 and 17 years.
And the Zimbabwe Handball Federation recently picked a strong 40-member boys and girls team that will take part in this event.
Amon Madzvamuse, the ZHF president, said they will field two girls teams in both the 15 to 17 years categories while one boys side will represent the country in the Under-17 section at this tournament where they are expected to be joined by fellow junior teams from Mozambique, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia and the hosts South Africa.
Speaking to The Herald yesterday before their departure for Cape Town, Madzvamuse said all members of the team, who had a three-day training camp at Girls High School in Harare, were “more than excited” to be traveling to South Africa where they will be the country’s flag-bearers at the Young Masters international tournament.
“Remember, the players in this team were picked from several provinces with Mashonaland West Province providing the bulk of these players and most of them have played at the Partille Cup which is one of the world’s biggest youth handball tournaments held annually in Gothenburg, Sweden.
“So, going to Cape Town for the Young Masters international tournament is another great experience for all of them and they are raring to go. The team went into camp at Girls High School in Harare last Friday and trained under our national coaches Daniel Mutandwa and Bernard Muzanenhamo who were being assisted by Innocent Kanosvova.
“So in terms of preparations, I think everything went according to our plans and we are just hoping that both the boys and girls teams will rise to the occasion and deliver the goods for our country during this inaugural youth tournament in Cape Town at the weekend . . . We just want to leave a big mark there,” Madzvamuse said.
The ZHF president also added that he hopes their participation in the Young Masters international tournament will help them to cement strong relationships with both the Young Masters Handball Club and the Western Cape Handball Association.
“We are grateful to the GeBe Foundation for extending an invitation for us to take part in this tournament where we will also take the opportunity of cultivating some good relationships between us and the Western Cape Handball Association as well as with the Young Masters Handball Club.
“If all goes well, we will be looking at participating at this event every year as part of our continued efforts to give our young handballers the much-needed international exposure.”
Online Reporter