Netball side receives rude awakening in Malawi

THATO KALA
Correspondent | Friday June 28, 2013 00:00

 

The two losses at the hands of Zambia and Zimbabwe saw them miss out on a spot in today's final.Next year's championships bear so much significance on the African calendar. The games will be used to rank the countries that will qualify for the 2015 Sydney Netball World Cup qualifying games.But the hosting boost came after Zambia pulled a shock result over Botswana at the ongoing tournament. After going into the tournament as Africa's number three, Botswana succumbed to a 55-41 defeat.In that game, the Zambians made their intentions clear from the onset, opening up a lead that Botswana failed to overturn. According to reports, Zambia relied on their good defence and sharp shooters to win the match. They then fell narrowly to Zimbabwe 51-49.

Only the top two teams sailed through to yesterday's semi-finals and subsequently to the finals that would be played today.Botswana Netball Association (BONA) president, Tebogo Lebotse said the results were 'a hard, but very good lesson'.'It's a good wake up call because Africa is reorganising and countries are making progress. These games have proved this is a reality. So we need to do something to change fast. It's a blessing we have these games coming up. We have been complacent and we need to step up,' Lebotse told Mmegi Sport.BONA public relations officer, Kelebogile Maplanka also said there was need to introspect, regroup and strategise well. 'It's a serious assignment for us as BONA, we need to get out of our laurels and do more because now countries are serious and now they have misplaced us,' Maplanka said. The results mean the country drops in their rankings in the continent. The BONA boss, Lebotse, added that hosting next year's event was a big boost for the country.

However, she stressed the available facilities were not exactly the expected international standard. An indoor facility, she said, would make life much easier.'It's a great opportunity for Botswana, and especially for netball. Ideally, it would make life easy with an indoor facility, but we can host with the facilities,' she said.Lebotse also said an ideal situation would be when the local facilities are a reflection of the international game. 'As a region we are not at that point as yet. They don't play in the facilities they will play at in Sydney, Other projects include creating railway linkages within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

The Zambian government has received funding from the African Development Bank for construction of a bridge across the Zambezi River at Kazungula on the border with Botswana. Many road transporters have complained of delays in transporting goods between Zambia and Botswana because a pontoon is used across the Zambezi River at Kazungula.Zambian drivers complained on privately-owned Muvi Television that the cost of doing business had been increased due to elevated fees by pontoon operators.which are world class. That could be intimidating for the players.'