Young Gems set for selection camp
THE Zimbabwe Netball Association will tomorrow conduct trials for the national Under-21 team that will represent the country in the 2025 Youth World Cup qualifiers to be held in Pretoria, South Africa next month.
The initial selection of a huge provisional pool will be held at Girls High School in Harare and around 100 players invited from the two elite leagues, the Premier Netball League and the Rainbow Amateur League are expected to show the technical committee what they can offer.
The African qualifiers will be held from March 17-23 with the Youth World Cup scheduled for Gibraltar in September next year.
ZINA secretary general Rachael Tinorwirashe said all was set for the trials on Saturday.
“The association wrote to both the PNL and RANL inviting the Under-21 players to come for the selection event at Girls High on Saturday.
“We are expecting a lot of talent to be showcased during the selection. This is the provisional selection and the final event to pick the team will be held in the coming few weeks before the team goes into camp ahead of the qualifiers.
“Our technical committee will do the assessment and the coaches will also be announced in due course.”
The Young Gems made their maiden dance at the Youth World Cup in Botswana in 2016 where they finished ninth.
They were under the tutelage of veteran coach Ropafadzo Mutsauki who is the current Gems coach and he was assisted by Perpetual Siyachitema.
They were also poised to punch their ticket to the 2021 World Cup in Fiji but the event never saw the light of the day due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
And they will try to stamp their authority in Pretoria as they bid to qualify for the 2025 edition of the jamboree.
Only the top four teams in the African qualifiers advance to the Youth World Cup.
Meanwhile, fireworks are expected at the Mbare Netball Complex when over 20 teams battle it out on Saturday for four promotional slots into the PNL.
The champions from the first division last season will size up against each other and the best four teams will wheel their way into the elite league.
“We are expecting a very high level of competition from the teams as the objective is qualifying to play in the PNL,” Tinorwirashe said.
“Everything is now in place and we are expecting fireworks at the Netball Complex in Mbare.”The PNL kicks-off early next month with champions Platinum Queens looking to maintain their dominance.