BY MAGRETH RUZVIDZO THE Zimbabwe senior netball team, the Gems, has received a huge boost following a new sponsorship deal between the Zimbabwe Netball Association (Zina) and retail group, Spar Zimbabwe.
The package comes as the team is planning to tour Malawi and the United Kingdom for preparatory matches ahead of the World Cup qualifiers scheduled for August in South Africa.
The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee (ZOC), through the “Friends of ZOC Initiative”, has organised support for Zina through Spar Zimbabwe partnership.
The team held its first camp in March and has scheduled another one for next month to ensure they assemble a perfect team for the assignment.
The sponsorship will cater for the kit, camps and high-performance training support.
The preparation will include a series of month-long camps, regional friendlies and regional ranking tournaments leading to the World Cup qualifier set for August 20-27, 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Spar Zimbabwe support will also extend its sponsorship to grassroot netball development.
In a statement, SPAR Zimbabwe general manager Cypren Borerwe said: “Today’s (Wednesday) partnership bears testament to our focus on the pillars of women, children and the promotion of a healthy and active lifestyle. We believe the Gems are role models for aspiring young sports people, and little children will soon look up to them as examples of how great things can come from very humble beginnings.
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“The Gems are a big brand in Zimbabwe and need and deserve all the support they can get. The whole nation rallied and applauded the team back in 2019, and we are convinced that was only the beginning of their rise to fame. Sport is a powerful motivator and a true reflection of how we, as humans, are always better together.”
Zina president Leticia Chipandu said: “We will put our all to qualify the team for the World Cup, hence we need all hands-on deck to see this through. We are excited the Netball extravaganza will be held on the African continent by our own neighbours, South Africa, the Gems have to be present! We are grateful to Spar Zimbabwe for this support.”
The Gems made their historic maiden appearance in the 2019 Vitality Netball World Cup in Liverpool, finishing 8th.
- Follow Magreth on Twitter@MagrethRuzvidzo
