Story by Lawrence Trusida, Sports Editor
COLOUR, song and dance marked the opening of the Confederation of Southern Africa Netball Associations (COSANA) Club Championships in Harare on Thursday as the region’s top clubs began their quest for regional honours.
The vibrant atmosphere set the stage for five days of competition, with the tournament running until July 20.
Fourteen clubs from across Southern Africa are competing in the championships, which also provide players with valuable preparation ahead of the Africa Cup in Kenya, a tournament that doubles as a qualifier for the Netball World Cup.
COSANA president Leticia Chipandu said the competition comes at a crucial stage of the international calendar.
“This competition has come at the right time because these are the players who will represent their countries at the Africa Cup. They are using this tournament to sharpen their skills as we seek to maintain our dominance at the Africa Cup and qualify more teams for the World Cup,” she said.
The opening day produced closely contested matches, with Harare City and Chapungu Queens playing to a 49-49 draw in an all-Zimbabwean encounter, while Makate Queens suffered a narrow 42-41 defeat to Zambian side NAPSA.
Teams are battling not only for regional supremacy but also to strengthen their preparations ahead of the African Club Championships.
With several top sides still to face each other, the competition is expected to intensify as Southern Africa’s leading clubs vie for regional bragging rights.
