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THE Rainbow Amateur Netball League want to have a professional outlook to their game this season amid revelations they will carry out random doping tests to have a clean sport.
The Zimbabwe Netball Association didn’t want to register the splinter league as a professional outfit because, according to their constitution, they run the professional league, which is the Super league.
However, the Super League is no longer in existence after all the clubs, except Harare City Netball Queens, defected to the functional RANL which has better sponsorship from Glow Petroleum.
But what’s in a name?
RANL secretary-general, Moses Gukurume, is unfazed.
“That was the only route to go for us to be registered. Please refer to article 9 of ZINA constitution.
“According to our papers we will be registered as amateur. If the general council see the need to change the name, then a decision will be made to approach the relevant offices,” said Gukurume.
But RANL, which held their annual meeting on Saturday, are optimistic of a good season this year which will commence on February 29.
“We resolved that we engage agencies that can assist us in carrying out random doping so that we run a clean sport,” said Gukurume.
RANL are also looking at capacity building.
The league want to increase their visibility and take advantage of netball’s growing profile following the Gems performance at the Netball World Cup.
The league have a massive $11 million sponsorship for this season from Glow Petroleum.
“We resolved to conduct workshops to empower our administrators and technical staff.
“That way we can take the game to the people so that we effectively communicate and market our brand,” said Gukurume.
During the annual indaba, which reviewed last season and the progress made so far ahead of the new season, a sports consultant, Brian Moyo, helped shape the RANL brand into a business model. Some clubs struggled to fulfil fixtures due to transport challenges but the league believe they have addressed the problem
On their failure to get recognition from ZINA, Gukurume said they were closely monitoring the situation.
“We stand ready to engage constructively with ZINA as the mother body and SRC as the sports regulatory body
“Our position is that SRC are doing all they can for the development of netball and for sanity to prevail, so there is no need to spoil the broth,” he said.
The Sports Commission have threatened to evoke Section 30 of the SRC Act.
ZINA risk suspension after they failed to comply with the Commission’s order to conduct elections and register RANL by January 31.
Leticia Chipandu, the ZINA led by president, has insisted that according to their constitution, they are not due for elections.
Online Reporter