ZHF hail Under-20 teams

ahead of other commitments coming up in the year.
Zimbabwe sent a men and women’s team to this tournament which ran  from March 31 to April 5 in Johannesburg and the two teams scooped two bronze medals.
The medals were then presented to the teams’ official sponsors, Betta Ball Sports, in Harare yesterday.
And speaking at yesterday’s presentation function, Madzvamuse said they were looking at arranging more international matches for the national men’s and women’s teams at both junior and senior level.
“We now look forward to playing against Mozambique who are doing well.
“Mozambique have always been a top contender at international level.
“And turning to the Zone Six tournament, I would like to thank the players who were well disciplined on-and-off the field.
“The team managers Kudakwashe Kanengoni and Mirriam Moyo also did well to push the teams and kept them focused.
“We have managed to improve both on the boys and girls teams.
“We would like to keep these two teams intact and groom them for the Under-23 and Under-25 international events that may be held later this year.
“In terms of medals, we were third but we were second overall in the Zone Six tournament in Johannesburg,” Madzvamuse said.
Betta Ball Sports partnered the ZHF when they donated kits, which the teams used in Johannesburg last week.
“We are here today to present the bronze medals that we won at the Zone Six tournament to our partners, Betta Ball Sports.
“We went to the tournament as a team and worked well as a team and we managed to win the bronze medals, thanks to the help that we received from Betta Ball Sports,” Madzvamuse said.
The ZHF president also took time to praise two local referees — Innocent Kanosvova and Maxwell Mukwena — who were outstanding at the event.
Kanosvova and Mukwena were named as the best referees at the Johannesburg tournament.
“We have improved very much as our referees were outstanding and they got some recognition by being named as the best officials after this tournament.
“The local referees were given the nod to officiate in the men’s final of the tournament after some outstanding performances during the group stages of this event.”
Meanwhile, the Betta Ball Sports operations director, Lizah Makombore, said they were happy to have partnered an excelling team.
“We feel happy for incorporating a team that did the nation proud.
“It is always good to support achievers and we are now looking forward to a more strategic partnership with the Zimbabwe Handball Federation.
“We came on board at the last minute but we need to support sports.
“We will also take a look at the (ZHF) calendar of events and see what they need and we will assist them whenever we can.
“Our aim was to motivate the teams. They (the Under-20 teams) went to the tournament in Johannesburg and they did us proud so we have to consider a strategic mutual plan,” Makombore said.
At the IHF Zone Six Under-20 Challenge Trophy tournament, the Zimbabwe men’s side picked up the bronze medal and a trophy after finishing third overall behind Mozambique and the hosts South Africa.
They were emulated by the women’s team who also walked away with a bronze medal and a trophy after they settled for third place behind Mozambique and Malawi.
The tournament, which was bankrolled by the world’s handball governing body, the IHF, attracted six countries from Southern Africa — Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the hosts South Africa.