Zimbabwe Gems return home

By Takudzwa Chitsiga

The Zimbabwe senior netball team returned home last night from a successful Vitality World Cup campaign.

They were welcomed by Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, Kirsty Coventry, at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.

The Gems finished in eighth place at their inaugural World Cup campaign.

Coventry congratulated the team and said they had done the nation proud and made netball a popular sport in the country.

“I am very excited and happy with the performance of the girls and I say congratulations to them and they really did the nation proud,’’ she said.

“It is a plus for us as they have put the sport on the map and they did not disappoint, considering the level of competition they faced in Britain.

“We will have a proper welcome for them as they are tired, we should allow them to go and rest.’’ Also present at the airport, and in full support of the Gems, was the Zimbabwe Women hockey team which brought roses for the netball team.

Led by former Goring Cricket captain, Gus McVey, who got the call to coach the Zimbabwean national women’s hockey team at World Series Open, the hockey side saluted the Gems.

“They deserve our support, we are also going for an international assignment on August 9 and so we will take a leaf from them,” said McVey.

Team coach, Lloyd Makunde, said he was very pleased with the way the girls performed and had now set his sights on the Africa Games campaign.

“There is no time to rest, we will take a short break and get back to business as we look forward to the Africa Games,” said Makunde. The Chronicle