Chronicle Editor
Nkosilathi Sibanda, Online Reporter
BULAWAYO’s Sobukhazi High School’s netball team crumbled at the finals of this year’s edition of the Netball Stella Tea national tournament, when they were beaten 50-43 by Filchrist school in Harare over the weekend.
Sobukhazi played well to reach the final, having gone past potentially good sides, only to be felled by the Mashonaland Central school in the last quarter of the game.
The tournament, which is funded annually by Tanganda Tea Company and hosted under the auspicies of the National Association of Secondary Heads (NASH). The schools contest was last held in 2019 before being shelved owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
For their effort, Filchrist won US$5 000 and trophy, while Sobukhazi came back US$3 500 richer.
On third place was Mnene High School of Midlands who walked away with US$2 500. Mweyamutsvene eventually bowed down as the fourth best team and were given US$1 800.
In their first group stage game, Sobukhazi thumped Kuwadzana High School 40-6. In the second match, the Bulawayo girls met Mawabeni of Matabeleland South whom they beat 20-12, going further to seal a triple when they won 22-12 against Vimbai High of Mashonaland East.
The quarter-finals Sobukhazi were again to face Vimbai and the result favoured the Bulawayo side as they won 30-11. That victory paved way for the semi-final stage in which Sobukhazi beat Mweyamutsvene High School of Manicaland 29-24.
Drumming in from their impressive unbeaten record from the inter-districts, Sobukhazi had done well to represent the province that struggled in the athletics championships in Rusape.
Former schools’ netball powerhouse Pamushana High School of Mavingo settled for fifth position, with Matabeleland North’s Mosi oa Tunya 10th for an all familiar about the province.
Other schools that made it to the tournament were Chibi (Masvingo), Maremera (Mashonaland West) and Harare’s St Peters.
The National Association of Secondary Heads president Arthur Maphosa said they were grateful to the sponsorship that came in from Tanganda.
“The least we can say is thanks to our all-weather friend, Tanganda Tea, who through their Stella brand have continued to support our girls in netball,” said Maphosa.
Online Reporter