Dar es Salaam — NEW national netball team coach Simone McKinnis is expected in the country this Wednesday, the Tanzania Netball Association (CHANETA) said on Sunday.

CHANETA Chairperson, Anna Bayi said in Dar es Salaam on Sunday that Simone's schedule shows that she would arrive aboard the Emirates Airways around 3pm. Upon her arrival, Anna said she would sign the contract with the government who brought her into the country to take up the role of National coach of Tanzania.

She will then join the team which has camped in Kibaha in preparation for the African championship due in South Africa next month. McKinnis arrival made possible by President Jakaya Kikwete, who offered to employ an expatriate coach for the national netball team, Taifa Queens.

In her new role, the former legend of Australian netball will focus on the development of the national programme with specific emphasis on the progress of the national team. Currently ranked 22 in the World and 4 in Africa, Tanzania aims to be among the top 15 teams in the World by year 2012.

McKinnis resigned as the Australian Institute of Sport and Australian U-21 netball coach to take up the Taifa Queens' post. She represented Australia in 67 tests between 1986 and 1998 winning a Commonwealth Games gold medal in 1998 and World Championships in 1991 and 1995.

Having had a huge impact at the AIS since her appointment in 2007 and ultimately leading the Australian U-21 team to victory at the 2009 World Youth Netball Championship in the Cook Islands, Netball Australia General Manager of High Performance Natalie Wright-Boyd thanked McKinnis for her contribution to the programme.

"Simone was exceptional in her role as coach of the AIS netball programme and the Australian U-21 team and we thank her for her work over the past three years," Wright-Boyd said.

"This role with Tanzania will be an exciting and challenging one and we wish Simone all the best in this important position of developing netball in other countries," he added.

Acting AIS Director Phil Borgeaud paid tribute to the outstanding contribution that McKinnis had made to both the Institute and Australian U-21 netball programmes.

"Simone has proven to be a coach of immeasurable talent and we wish her all the best in her new coaching appointment with Tanzania," he said.