Sidumisile Mabena
Lovemore Dube [email protected]
LEAGUE debutants Zhombe Chibs Queens a netball team from the Midlands has its young players on over drive with excitement about their weekend trip to Bulawayo to play in the Nedbank League.
The girls are visiting Bulawayo for the first time on netball duty and some as individuals.
Already they have been to Harare thrice so far and this weekend they travel southwards excited not only about playing on the beautiful White City Courts but the thought of seeing Bulawayo for the first time has overwhelmed the majority in the team.
To make it even more memorable, the team has been in camp since last week.
Chibs owned and sponsored by businessman Brian Chibaya, himself a former Ziscosteel football player, have a team comprising of school girls and young adults with the oldest 25 years old.
As assistant coach Shelter Panganai puts it, she said the team was formed to cater for budding talent from Gokwe and Zhombe.
“We formed the team to give girls a chance and an extra option in life. Sport is now a career and they may go far if they are serious with it,” said Panganai.
Netball has seen institutions in the uniformed services employing some as professionals in sport. Some companies have joined the fray affording the girl child employment and a livelihood to take care of family.
Panganai said they also help girls stay away from early sex, give them a chance to stay fit and focused concentrating on education and healthy lifestyles with a promise for a brighter future.
“We in a way helping in the fight against early teenage pregnancies and HIV and Aids. Sport is keeping them occupied and getting lessons about life regularly,” said Panganai.
About the trip to Bulawayo, she said the kids are very excited and looking to seeing Bulawayo and clashing with their hosts Imbizo Queens.
“The mere fact that we are coming to Bulawayo has excited the girls. The morale in camp is very high and everyone is looking forward to being in the team that will play in the City of Kings and Queens.
“Many in the team have never been to Bulawayo and they will be coming for the first time this weekend. We have been in camp for the whole week and we are so excited and ready to go,” she said.
They are the only rural team from the Southern Region playing in the Nedbank Netball Premier League.
At the moment after nine rounds of action they find themselves lying 14th in the 18-team division with four points.
The morale has stayed high despite.
In Bulawayo the Zhombe girls will clash with Harare City, Harare District and Zimstat Inyanga.
“We have prepared for these games and we looking forward to some exciting netball games for our girls before they return to school,” said Panganai.
Online Reporter