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Ellina Mhlanga-Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE’S Under-21 team is set to leave for the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup tomorrow ahead of the competition that gets underway next week in Potchefstroom, South Africa.
The global tournament begins on April 1 and runs until April 12 with 16 countries, grouped into four pools, competing.
Zimbabwe are up against the Canada, United States and Netherlands in Pool A.
The Hockey Association of Zimbabwe announced an adjusted 20-member team in February. Most of the players have been training at St John’s College under the guidance of coach Tendayi Maredza.
South Africa-based Jenna Mathieson and Lillian Pope are expected to join the rest on the team in Potchefstroom where they will have some training sessions before they take on Wales in a warm-up match on Wednesday.
Maredza said they have done all they can to get ready for the competition. Their first game is against Canada on Friday.
“We have done everything we can in terms of preparing for this tournament. Obviously when the game start we will be able to see if we have prepared well. But the girls are excited, the team is looking good, everyone is looking sharp, and excited and ready to go.
“We have just been working on our team structure, playing lots of games, getting the girls match fit and to understand what they need to do on the park. So we have just been focusing on that and also our set-plays, that’s what we have been working on in the last couple of weeks.
“We leave for South Africa on Sunday (tomorrow) and the we have practice sessions on the 28th, 29th and then we play a warm-up match on the 30th against Wales and the we have a break on the 31st and then on the 1st we start-off the tournament. Our first game will be against Canada on the 1st of April.
“We just got two players based in South Africa, Jenna Mathieson and Lillian Pope, and we will meet them there on Sunday. The rest of the team is already here in Zimbabwe,” said Maredza.
The tournament was due to take place last December but was postponed to this year because of Covid-19.
Following the postponement, there were some adjustments to the original team with Mufaro Mazambani, who could not make it this time around, replaced by Gugulethu Sibanda.
There were also two additions to the initial 18 players as the technical team roped in Kaylee Sithole and Tatenda Maswera.
“From the original team, Mufaro Mazambani could not make it. So she was replaced by Gugulethu Sibanda and then we have added two more players, Kaylee Sithole and Tatenda Maswera, because we are allowed to bring 20 players as per FIH regulations.
“So those are the only changes for the team,” said Maredza.
Pool B consists of England, Ireland, South Africa and Ukraine.
Argentina, Korea, Russia and Uruguay will battle it out in Pool C while Pool D is made up of Germany, India, Malaysia and Wales.
Zimbabwe Team
Georgia Allardice, Mercedes Beekes, Mutsa Bera, Hayley Clark, Tinodiwanashe Elijah, Simone Herbst, Jorja Jones, Courtney Lowe, Lavender Mandoza, Tatenda Maswera, Jenna Mathieson, Mazvita Mtausi-Gwaradzimba, Khanyisile Mzizi, Lillian Pope, Gugulethu Sibanda, Kaylee Sithole, Alexei Terblanche, Natalie Terblanche, Taya Trivella, Rumbidzai Zimuto.
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