Shinya happy with Gems show

Veronica Gwaze in CAPE TOWN, South Africa

THE Gems may have failed in their bid for a top-four finish at the Netball World Cup but their coaches are still satisfied with the shift they put in here at the competition.

Four years ago, they made their debut at the World Cup in Liverpool, England, and left the nation spellbound with some exceptional performances that saw them finish eighth.

Before this year’s tournament, they dreamt big, what with the tournament being hosted in neighbouring South Africa.

They, however, finished in 13th position after paying dearly for a horrible start to the tourney, in which they lost all their Pool A games.

Coach Ropafadzo Mutsauki and his assistant Tatenda Shinya went on a rebuilding exercise following the departure of some of the stars who featured in Liverpool.

They tried to blend youth and experience. Some of the new girls only made their maiden appearance in national colours during the World Cup qualifiers in Pretoria last year.

Shinya told The Sunday Mail Sport yesterday that he believes that, given the level of competition at the World Cup, he would gladly take the 13th position.

“We started badly in the first round but we had to adjust in many things in order to perform well in the second round, and we are happy it finally worked,” he said.

As has become the norm, poor preparations also came into play.

Unlike four years ago, when they gauged their strength against South Africa and Uganda before travelling to England, the Gems arrived in Cape Town without playing a sparring game of note.

Shinya said failure to play meaningful warm-up games contributed to the Gems’ slow start.

“Our squad has a majority of young players who definitely need more international exposure.

“We had to try out various combinations at the start of the competition … Later on, the youngsters gained confidence and things started to fall into place, although we were already out of the top-four race.

“The manner in which they eventually stepped up shows that we are in the right direction. Our future is bright and this gives us hope of qualifying for the next World Cup,” Shinya added.

It is also believed that the Covid-19 pandemic stalled the team’s rebuilding programme.

With veterans such as Sharon Bwanali, Tafadzwa Matura and Joice Takaidza failing to come to the party this time around, it was always going to be a tough ask for the Gems to deliver.

Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Minister Kirsty Coventry was also happy with the Gems’ overall performance.

“The women made us proud and I am glad that I watched them in action.

“You know what it is like in such a tournament when you have got a new team. They are young players as compared to the 2019 team; there is a lot to learn,” Coventry said.

Despite receiving the backing of their coaches and the Government for their World Cup show, questions have been raised on the national team’s selection panel.

Critics argue that the selection base should have been broadened.

Others have blamed the poor World Cup show on too much interference, which has left coaches powerless in team selection.

Shinya, however, defended the technical team.

“External interference is always there in any national team, and netball cannot be an exception. Even supporters interfere, but as coaches, we know what we have to do to produce results based on our observations,” he said.

“Our domestic leagues are not bad either, as they have the capacity to produce competitive players.

“Rumours, in most cases, are always there around decisions at the World Cup. We did our duty and we take responsibility for the team selection and even the poor result because we are a team.

“I cannot say much about the past but this time we have learnt a lot and I am sure it is going to help us in future.”