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Ellina Mhlanga Senior Sports Reporter
PREMIER Netball League defending champions Platinum Queens are looking at wrapping up the season in style by retaining the title when they battle it out with a number of teams in the last bubble due to take place early next month in Harare.
The last bubble was initially set for this Saturday but has been moved to November 5 and 6.
Platinum Queens are currently leading the race and they are on course to defend the title.
Platinum Queens coach, Simbarashe Mlambo, said they would want to make sure they don’t drop the ball in the final stage of the season as they prepare for their final games.
“Definitely you treat them (games) differently in the sense that you want to be clinical, we are unbeaten in the league this year and we don’t want any major upsets.
“But I think it will be very difficult for us to lose at this point in time especially to lose the title. I mean we have been defending it and I think we have done well for the majority of the season and definitely now that we are here, we will just have to make sure that we don’t suffer any major upsets,” said Mlambo.
According to the fixture for the upcoming bubble, Platinum Queens are up against Marondera, Mutare City, Green Fuel, Waterfalls, Harare Polytechnic, Zupco and Ngezi Platinum Queens.
Mlambo, who is the Gems’ statistician, is currently in camp with the senior national team but has been co-ordinating with his assistant coach at the club, Stembile Banda, to ensure the team is ready for the league games.
They are also making some adjustments to their side since some of their regular players are part of the Gems squad that is in camp.
“Preparations have been going well, we had injuries with Hamu (Govere) and Chipo Shoko but everything is okay now. They are training well. “So we are just preparing for that last bubble and we have limited resources because most of our girls — Lynnette (Tanhira), Tanaka (Makusha), Sthabile (Manyukire) — are with the national team. But we will manage.
“Definitely, if most of your girls are with the Gems it does affect (our preparations) . . . We have done what we could. First changing one or two people into different roles.
“We just moved Progress Moyo back into shooting and she will partner with Chipo (Shoko) and Silibaziso Shumba but otherwise, we are still strong we will be just working like that,” said Mlambo.
On second place are ZDF Queens, followed by Green Fuel on third place.
PNL chairperson, Sarudzai Chapo, said with a number of teams having outstanding matches, the games will now be played over two days so that they conclude their 2022 season.
“Games have been postponed to the 5th and 6th of November.
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