Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE Netball Association president Leticia Chipandu is waxing lyrical over the amount of talent the country possess.
She was on hand to witness at the 18-team Premier Netball League play-offs that took place at the Mbare Netball Complex on Saturday.
The pitch with which the tournament ran could have easily been mistaken for one of the elite bubbles featuring giants ZDF Queens, Harare City, Black Rhinos and others.
Each of the 18 teams, drawn from all the country’s 10 provinces punched hard as they sought to get one of the available four slots in the PNL.
In the end, it was Aspindale, Bikita Minerals, Imbizo and Tongogara who secured tickets to the Super League.
Bikita Minerals have previously participated in the Rainbow Amateur League (RNAL) but have decided to play in the country’s uppermost league and had to go through the play-offs where they were second to Aspindale.
Imbizo and Tongogara were third and fourth respectively.
The quartet will take the places of relegated sides ZUPCO, Waterfalls, Argistars and St P&P.
It was the manner in which the players carried themselves during the play-offs that left Chipandu oozing some newly-found hope of a better future.
“I am not really concerned about who has won promotion to the Premier Netball League although I should say my hearty congratulations to all those four.
“But it is the amount of pure talent that was on display that charmed me the most.
“The action was so riveting and you get the feeling that we are headed in the right direction because we have got a lot of talent,” said Chipandu.
“I think we need to do more to provide a platform for all girls across the country.
“I am shocked with the amount of talent that was on display.
“We had our national teams from junior level up the senior team identifying potential national team players.
“They picked a lot of them and that shows we are in the right direction. We just have to provide more opportunities for the girls.
“We will have some inter-provincial tournaments from Under-16 level and that will form our basis for national team selection from that level. We have the potential and we should utilise that.” Aspindale coach Munyaradzi Joseph, who recently attended an elite coaching workshop organised by ZINA hailed her charges for the outstanding achievement.
“I would like to salute the girls for a job well done. The tournament was very competitive as all the teams wanted to qualify.
“But we stood firm and all credit to the girls. We are now looking forward to a fruitful season in the PNL,” said Joseph.
PNL spokesperson Innocent Ndiya said the league was satisfied with the talent in the grassroots.
“We attended the tournament together with the board and we were satisfied with the quality of play exhibited by these teams in Division One,” said Ndiya.
“As PNL, we thank ZINA for bringing in such clubs with talented players from the grassroots as this will give them a wide selection pool of players to play in the national team.”
