Zimbabwe: Govt to Support Underfunded Netball Team as 15 Gems Squad is Announced

PURSUANT to the plight of Zimbabwe senior netball team, government has chipped in to assist financially as the Gems prepare to participate in this year's World Cup in South Africa.

The netball team has since last month been surviving on handouts from well-wishers since the commencement of their camp in Harare.

This has been an usual script for the team ahead of huge tournaments which are marred by underfunding and poor preparations.

Sports and Recreation Commission Director General Elta Nengomasha Tuesday said the government will avail funds to the netball team without disclosing the value of the package.

"We are very excited as the Sports and Recreation Commission. The Gems we have been working with have their budget and we acknowledge the part that the corporate world has put in place. Gems have presented a budget to SRC which includes amongst other things areas that have already been taken by the corporate world.

"These budget presentations were done three weeks ago. I would like to assure Zimbabwe that government is in support the Gems The budget that they have requested I cannot disclose figures at the moment," said Nengomasha

Zimbabwe Netball Association (ZINA) struck a deal with a local bank that will see the team's travel expenses to Cape Town being catered for.

However, ZINA is falling short, which has witnessed well-wishers donating food hampers and sanitary ware for the ladies.

Meanwhile, ZINA announced a 15 member team that will be part of their netball campaign which begins late next month.

The squad is a mixture of young and experienced players with seven players having been part of the World Cup in 2019.

Gems coach Ropafadzo Mutsauki said he is happy with the charges he has assembled for the World Cup.

"I think practice makes perfect. If you are training things will be easier for the coach to assess who is best and who is the next. I am happy because we managed to have at least three weeks at the moment for training sessions. We managed to assess the players and create combinations. It was a process but we managed to create a good team," said Mutsauki.

This article originally appeared on New Zimbabwe

Photo: The Herald