Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze
Zimpapers Sports Hub
THIS promises to be an exciting year for netball after Nedbank Premier Netball League have received an invitation to participate in a prestigious Club Championship tournament in Windhoek, Namibia.
Scheduled to take place between May1-5, 2025, the invitational tournament will be hosted by the Confederation of Southern Africa Netball Association (COSANA).
The Club Championship tournament is expected to bring together top netball clubs from the COSANA region, to compete for the coveted title.
In what could be a testament of growth in netball, the Rita Mkandla led executive will be fielding four teams at the tournament.
2024 PNL champions ZDF Queens, Black Rhinos and Harare City who finished the season in second and third in that order will represent Zimbabwe.
Makate High Flyers, after emerging silver medalists at the recent PNL preseason tournament have also been handed a ticket to participate at the tournament.
In a speech during the Nedbank bankrolled PNL press-conference, Zimbabwe Netball Association president Leticia Chipandu paid tribute to COSANA for organising the historic event.
She congratulated Mkandla and her executive for earning an invitation to the prestigious tournament.
“I am happy and excited about this development; COSANA is a netball get together platform for countries in the SADC region where I sit as the president,” said Chipandu.
“It gives me joy to have my country fielding four teams with the hope that if we get enough funding we have five Under-21 teams onboard.
“PNL well done, it shows that you are doing everything right and that there is growth in the league.”
Chipandu who has been at the helm of netball for two decades urged the participating clubs to up their game and invest in ensuring that their athletes are in fine form.
She said clubs need to prepare adequately.
“To our teams, you have a big task. You need to start training hard and have your players in good shape because it will be a tough contest,” she added.
“Also looking at our rankings in the region, everyone expects Zimbabwe to be amongst the best performers so we need to live up to our billing.
“We are happy because this is a platform to brush shoulders with the best teams in the SADC region, it should come to improve the quality of play for our clubs.
“I am pleased that before I leave office as COSANA president, we have recorded such an achievement.”
The participating clubs are expected to be self-funded for the tournament with PNL coming in with a small-percentage-complimentary-sponsorship.
“As the league executive, it is our role to support the talent in our league hence we will come in with a certain percentage to assist the clubs because they are our affiliates,” said PNL secretary general Alice Makunura.
“We are excited to be part of such a tournament, which comes as a first for PNL and our wish is to take on more teams, if we get enough resources.”
With ZINA enjoying the affiliations of two leagues, PNL and Rainbow Netball League, questions have arisen on why the mother-body has only extended the tournament invite to the former.
Mathew Masinge