Andrew
Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Under-19 netball coach Simbarashe Mlambo is satisfied with progress he has seen in camp as the Young Gems heighten preparations for the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region Five Youth Games scheduled for Malawi in December.
The Young Gems missed the last edition of the annual tourney due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Mlambo is being assisted by Stembile Banda.
Both coaches are also on the books of Premier Netball League side Platinum Queens, where they are similarly coach and assistant, respectively.
Zimbabwe Netball Association (ZINA) took advantage of school holidays to have the youth side regroup.
Currently, 22 players are in camp.
“We are satisfied with the squad and progress so far. We will have a series of camps and all of them will culminate into the final one to be held days towards the final tournament,” Mlambo said.
“Having a series of camps will give us the opportunity to cast our net wider so that we have a huge pool of players to select from and it also creates stiff competition because the more the players, the more the competition.”
The tournament also provides the Young Gems with a chance to improve their international rankings.
The selection for the final squad, which started on the first day of camp, is a gradual process that will run until December.
The coaches are focusing on identifying the strengths and potential of each player called into camp. “We have had to move some of the players out of their comfort zones so that we see what exactly they are capable of because in some key areas we need height, so we have to convert some players,” he said.
The best of the Young Gems also stand a chance to be elevated to the senior team that is on a rebuilding exercise following the retirement of a number of veterans.
The Region Five Games also provide young blood, some of whom are rookies, with the much-needed experience as they prepare for future tournaments.
“Most of them are fervent and raring to go; hopefully, this will be a career-changing moment for them, so they are giving it their all because they obviously want to prove a point.
“Since this is just one instalment of more camping sessions to come, what will happen when we break will have a huge impact on whether one makes the final cut or not.”
With some of the players already absorbed in the elite league, Mlambo said some will have to be enrolled into academies for them to stay in shape.
The team is also focusing on combinations, physical and mental fitness.
It is their progress which has left him a happy man.
“We also want to get the team to speak one language, so, generally, they are doing fine and gradually growing into one big family.”
His charges, he said, also have a huge task of upholding a reputation that was set by seniors at the Pent Series and the African Championships in Namibia last year.
The Gems finished third and fifth in the competitions, respectively.
And the Young Gems need all the mental strength they can muster when they approach the AUSC games.
“The bar is high already, we need to fit in and I am grateful that ZINA came up with such a set-up which will give us ample time for preparations and an opportunity to explore a lot of talent,” he said.
Online Reporter