Plumtree School primed to host landmark NASH provincial netball tourney

Plumtree High School in Mangwe District is making history this week as it hosts the National Association of Secondary Heads (NASH) Matabeleland South Provincial Netball Games for the first time.

The tournament started yesterday and runs until today. Teams from all 10 provinces are expected to travel to the border town for the two-day competition.

The event has received support from Stella Tea Company and is being held at Plumtree School’s newly completed netball facilities.

Matabeleland South NASH chairman Salani Ndlovu said the province was proud to host the games and that Plumtree School was ready.

“We once hosted the Stella tournament games in Gwanda. Plumtree School has done the netball pitches to standard, prepared village camps for visitors, invited key stakeholders, and feeding arrangements have been completed. Yes, the host school will participate,” said Ndlovu.

He said Matabeleland South has a strong record of hosting national school sports.

“We have hosted athletics nationally at Plumtree School and Falcon College, as well as basketball nationals at Empandeni,” he added.

Preparations at Plumtree High School have been underway for weeks, and four standard netball pitches have been completed and are ready for use.

In addition, the school has also put in place accommodation for all players and officials who came from other provinces. Village camps have been set up on the school grounds to house visitors.

The host school is also taking part in the competition, giving local learners a chance to test themselves against the best netball teams in the province.

School authorities said they were excited about the opportunity to showcase Plumtree School’s facilities and hospitality.

Teachers, parents and the local community have been mobilised to help with logistics, security and catering during the games.

For many learners, the tournament is more than just a sport. It is a chance to gain exposure, build confidence and represent their schools at provincial level. Coaches from different districts have been in training camps ahead of the games.

NASH officials said they expect high levels of competition, with traditional netball powerhouses looking to book places for the national finals later in the year. The provincial winners will go on to represent Matabeleland South at the national NASH games.

Sponsors Stella Company said they were happy to back the tournament as part of efforts to promote girl child sport in schools. A company representative is expected to attend the official opening tomorrow.

Ndlovu urged schools to uphold discipline and sportsmanship during the games and also thanked the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, parents and stakeholders for supporting the event.

“We are ready. The pitches are ready, the accommodation is ready, and the teams are ready. We are looking forward to two days of good netball,” he said.

The opening matches began at 8am yesterday, with the finals scheduled for this afternoon.