En route to the 2019 Netball World Cup in Liverpool, Zimbabwe Netball Gems were seen as the unknown quantity, a team that had finished second at the African Netball Championships.
It was not even certain they would even make it to England, due to financial constraints.
But the Gems, at that time ranked 14th in the world, buoyed by a dynamic crowd-funding effort, took to the court in Liverpool and played with their hearts on their sleeves, grabbing headlines and producing a Cinderella streak that saw them finish the tournament in 8th.
Star player – Felistus Kangwa – was in the form of her life.
Her exploits at the 2019 Netball World Cup earned her a move to English netball side Surrey Storm becoming the first Zimbabwean to compete in the Vitality Netball Superleague.
Zimbabwe has another opportunity to go one step further after qualifying for a second successive World Cup.
The Gems booked their ticket for the global showpiece in August 2022 when they finished third at the Africa Netball qualifiers in Pretoria, South Africa — behind Malawi and South Africa.
The side beat neighbours Zambia 59-41 in a decider for the last available 2023 World Cup slot.
The Zimbabwe senior netball team is targeting a top-four finish at the upcoming 2023 Netball World Cup which will be staged in Cape Town, South Africa, next year.
Zimbabwe Netball Association president Letitia Chipandu said the Gems realised their potential in their maiden appearance at the 2019 Netball World Cup in England where Zimbabwe finished eighth.
“Liverpool is a legacy that remains in our heart and not just as a memory. A memory that we have stood on and has motivated us to believe that we can do more, that we can do better than a top-eight finish, that we can stand head and shoulders against the best netball teams in the world and compete at the highest. It is this belief that motivated us to fight and qualify for the Netball World Cup 2023,” said Chipandu.
“The road wasn’t easy but we qualified. We had to beat Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and now join the hosts South Africa, Uganda and Malawi as four countries that represent Africa. For you to understand that please remember there are 54 countries in Africa.”
Zimbabwe Netball Gems recently launched the Gems Road to Cape Town, with Chipandu calling on sponsors to come on board.
We cannot do this without you. We appeal to you to support us on this journey, support the girl,” she said.
“Our vision is for netball players to own houses, cars and take care of their families. We have so much lined up until the World Cup.”
