This promises to be an exciting year for netball after Nedbank Premier Netball League received an invitation to participate in a prestigious Club Championship tournament in Windhoek, Namibia.
The competition is scheduled to take place from May 1-5, and will be hosted by the Confederation of Southern Africa Netball Association (COSANA). The invitational Club Championship tournament is expected to bring together top netball clubs from the COSANA region, to compete for the coveted title.
In what could be a testament of growth in netball, the PNL executive led by Rita Mkandla have resolved to send four teams at the tournament. These include 2024 PNL champions ZDF Queens, Black Rhinos and Harare City, who finished the season in second and third respectively.
After emerging runners-up at a recent PNL pre-season tournament, Makate High Flyers have been handed a chance to also participate at the COSANA tournament.
Zimbabwe Netball Association president Leticia Chipandu paid tribute to COSANA for organising the historic event.
She also congratulated Mkandla and her executive for earning an invitation to the prestigious tournament.
"I am happy and excited about this development; COSANA is a netball get together platform for countries in the SADC region where I sit as the president," said Chipandu.
"It gives me joy to have my country fielding four teams with the hope that if we get enough funding, we have five Under-21 teams on board.
"PNL well done, it shows that you are doing everything right and that there is growth in the league."
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Chipandu who has been at the helm of national netball for two decades urged the participating clubs to up their game and invest in ensuring that their athletes are in fine form.
Chipandu who is also the COSANA president said clubs needed to prepare adequately.
"To our teams, you have a big task. You need to start training hard and have your players in good shape because it will be a tough contest.
"Also looking at our rankings in the region, everyone expects Zimbabwe to be amongst the best performers so we need to live up to our billing.
"We are happy because this is a platform to brush shoulders with the best teams in the SADC region, it should come to improve the quality of play for our clubs.
"I am pleased that before I leave office as COSANA president, we have recorded such an achievement."
The participating clubs are expected to be self-funded for the tournament with PNL coming in with a small-percentage-complimentary-sponsorship.
"As the league executive, it is our role to support the talent in our league hence we will come in with a certain percentage to assist the clubs because they are our affiliates," said PNL secretary-general Alice Makunura.
"We are excited to be part of such a tournament, which comes as a first for PNL and our wish is to take on more teams, if we get enough resources."
With ZINA enjoying the affiliation of two leagues, PNL and Rainbow Netball League, questions have since arisen on why the rationale behind excluding from the invitational tourney, teams from the latter league.
