Handball team resumes training camp

THE national 20- and- Under boys handball team assistant coach Clemence Leonard says they are on track with their long- term plan for the side as they resumed their periodic camps yesterday at the Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex.

With some of the players in school, the coaches are utilising the remaining few days of the school holidays to continue with their monthly camps for their 2024 vision and regional events lined up for the year.

The Zimbabwe Handball Federation are making efforts towards developing a strong foundation for national teams and have expressed their desire to have a team that can compete for 2024 Olympic Games qualification.

The local handball motherbody has engaged Swiss coach Rolf Haussener to work with local coaches towards that goal.

The team has been having periodic camps and will kick- start their year with the four- day camp ending on Friday under the guidance of local coaches Innocent Kanosvova and Clemence Leonard.

This year the team is also scheduled to compete at the IHF Challenge Trophy Zone Six, expected to take place in Zimbabwe.

The team’s assistant coach Leonard said this is continuation of the camps they have been having in the past.

“This is the first camp of the year, the last one we had was in November. We are doing what we have been doing, remember our 2024 vision which we have. So we are building on what we have been doing, the tactical play, technical and their fitness since we last had them in November.

“There are some improvements we have noticed, when you take people obviously you expect them to develop. As a team, we are also working on coming up with our own playing system because we have a long- term plan.

“So we are trying to build our own system and every competition we will try to perfect that system. We want to have our own way of doing things,” said Leonard.

Haussener has been in the country before to attend some of the camps and on other occasions he sends the coaching material to the local coaches as part of the initiative to help the country break through to the bigger stage.

Leonard said this has been helpful and is certain the Zone Six event will be a good platform to measure the work they have been putting in, in a competition set- up.

He pointed out that apart from the 24 players they have been working with, the door is still open to other players.

“Obviously this competition is a way to the long- term vision we have. So we want to bring them to their peak. In February we should have another camp and he ( Haussener) will be there. We co- ordinate with him, for every camp he guides us, even on this camp he sent us material to work with.

“The process in ongoing and if we happen to come across a player who is better than a player we have in camp it means we have to consider that person. It’s a process,” said Leonard.

Zimbabwe is still to make an impression in the sport and hopefully this initiative will bear fruits. ZHF have also indicated that they are going to have the same set- up for the women’s teams to have an inclusive approach to their developmental programmes.