Youth games, schools key to netball development

Ellina Mhlanga

Sports Reporter

FOR netball, the importance of such platforms as the National Youth Games and the schools system remain key in the growth of the sport.

And as they go into 2021, the Zimbabwe Netball Association are looking at strengthening their partnership with schools where most of their players come from through the establishment of centres to cater for talented players from district level.

After Zimbabwe’s maiden appearance at the World Cup, there are some areas the technical team highlighted including the need for height and continuous development of players to have a broad selection base.

With a wider base for selection, it also means increased competition among the players improving the quality for national teams.

ZINA president, Leticia Chipandu, said among their set targets for next year is the creation of platforms for talent identification and nurturing.

“Come 2021, we have designed a programme we are going to share with Nash (National Association of Secondary School Heads). We want to have academies or High Performance Centres starting from districts.

“For example Dzivaresekwa District, we have one school, let’s say Dzivaresekwa High 2, where top players within that district meet twice a week. That way we will have more players because sometimes some talented players are left out because they don’t make it to top events.

“So we are going to have coaches to partner with those centres. It’s easier to track talent at district level and nurture the talent from a young age. This is the formula that works.

“It’s the formula that got us to the World Cup. These players, we started nurturing them as far as the COSANA, and in 2014 it was the same team that won gold at the Region Five Games. It’s the same team that qualified for the Netball World Youth Cup and it was the bulk of them that went to the World Cup. So it’s the formula that works,” said Chipandu.

A number of senior players, including former captain Perpetua Siyachitema, top goal shooter Pauline Jani and defender Rudo Karume, called time on their international careers soon after the World Cup.

The national association has indicated they want to start replacing those that left now, as they look ahead into the future.

Zimbabwe has made it clear they would want to return to the global show-piece and the next edition is in 2023. South Africa will be the host nation. But the work needs to start now for that goal to be achieved. Hopefully, they can rise above the Covid-19 pandemic challenges.

“We have the national teams, we have to beef-up. Remember we have some seniors that have retired. So we need to beef-up the team with taller players as well . . . We need to blend our team, height counts in netball.

“So we are going to use our provincial structures. We have used our provincial heads, they go scouting as far as at zonal tournaments, Nash events. We have Nash heads-in-charge of provinces because they sit in the ZINA structures,” said Chipandu.