Zimbabwe’s Netball Gems have qualified for a second successive World Cup following a 59-41 win over neighbours Zambia on Saturday in a match that was a decider for the last available 2023 World Cup slot.
Coach Ropafadzo Mutsauki and his charges had to settle for third place behind South Africa and Malawi after finishing the tournament with four wins out of six outings.
The Gems only lost to South Africa, who will host the World Cup in Cape Town, and Malawi in the African Championships.
Malawi, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Uganda who qualified based on their world ranking, will represent Africa at the World Cup.
Zimbabwe Netball Association (ZINA) president Leticia Chipandu, who will be at a World Cup for the third time after she also led the junior side to their finals in Botswana in 2017, said:
I cannot even express the joy. We have shed tears, especially as we reflected on the road that led to this day. The girls raised our national flag high.
We are grateful for the support that came through for us here and at home.
We made a vow when we left home that we were not going to disappoint, were hungry for this and indeed made it.
This should also win us confidence from the Government and the corporates, especially Spar, who are our partners, National Foods and Edgars, among others who have always been there for us.
I am very passionate about the game, I sometimes have to go out of my way to make things work and it has passed on to the girls. You can see passion even when things are tough.
More: The Sunday Mail