ƒ‹†‡”•…‘“—‡” „ƒ„ƒ‡ SBS HHOHHO NETBALL LEAGUE:

MBABANE – Mbabane Raiders have clinched the title in the Hhohho, Mbabane Zone Netball League, securing their championship status with a game to spare.

The former elite league side cemented their top spot last Saturday, ransacking The Hustlers 43-29. This win was particularly sweet as The Hustlers are the only team to have previously defeated the youthful squad led by Nkabinde Shabalala. With the victory, Mbabane Raiders stretched their lead from two to four points over closest rivals, Mbabane Masters. Masters are currently second in the standings with 16 points and two games down. Raiders have played one more game than most teams, as chilly weather on Saturday led to the postponement of some matches. However, Coach Shabalala praised his team’s performance, acknowledging that they had exceeded expectations.

“We initiated the Raiders project with under-19 girls who had never played netball in 2022, aiming for dominance in our zone and region within three to five years. However, we have achieved this in just two years,” he said.

He also expressed gratitude to the Swaziland Building Society (SBS) for their support of sports in the country, noting that such sponsorships provide a valuable platform for young women to thrive through sports. The SBS injected E200 000 into the Eswatini National Netball Association (ENNA) for the current season, the regional leagues got an allocation of E15 000 each. The Hhohho Region comprises of three zones in Mbabane, Pigg’s Peak, and Dvokolwako. Teams at the top of the table and the runners-up will progress to the regional finals.

MBABANE ZONE RESULTS:

Raiders 43 - 29 Hustlers

The Hustlers 10 - 4 Roses

(Game abandoned due to bad weather)