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Takudzwa Chitsiga, Harare Bureau
SENIOR national netball team goal-shooter Mercy Mukwadi is satisfied with the way their preparations are ongoing for the upcoming African Championships in Zambia later this month.

The Gems are expected to leave the country on August 9 for the tournament that will run from August 13 to 18 and will serve as the 2019 Netball World Cup qualifier.

Zimbabwe are enjoying good form after they improved on the International Netball Federation world rankings last month.

They moved two places up in the latest INF world rankings based on matches up to the end of June despite failing to defend their title at this year’s Pent Series in Namibia in June.

They came second behind Namibia in the five-team tournament and their participation paid off after they climbed two places up the ladder from position 15 to 13.

And the slim and tall lethal goal-shooter Mukwadi yesterday said all was well in their camp ahead of the African Championships and they were raring to go.

“We are happy with our preparations for the tournament. All is going on well and we expect to do well this time around.

“We expect to do well in defence which saw us losing the gold medal to Botswana in our last attempt at the African Championships.

“We are trying to adjust to international type of play, which is high mobility. We want to have a fast game than the one we have played previously, which is slower, a typical African game.

“It’s still a bit difficult but we are getting there. The girls are responding very well and with the slower game it makes it easier for our opponents to mark us one-on-one than when we are playing a fast game.

“We are preparing very well and we are we are going for gold in Zambia. We are working on what we lacked last time especially on the defence.

“We have some new players but we know each other at club level so it hasn’t been that difficult to adjust,” said Mukwadi.

In Zambia, the Gems will also be banking on their other experienced players such as Pauline Jani and Ursula Ndlovu.

The African Championships will see eight countries battling it out for the two slots left after South Africa and Malawi automatically qualified for the 2019 World Cup because of their high rankings.

South Africa are ranked fifth while Malawi are sixth and will join hosts England for next year’s global show-piece that will feature 16 countries.

The other countries taking part at the African Championships are Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Malawi, Uganda, South Africa and hosts Zambia.

Squad:
Pauline Jani, Perpetua Siyachitema, Cynthia Gamuchirayi, Rudo Karume, Ursula Ndlovu, Ndaiziveyi Madzikangava, Media Mafuta, Alice Banda, Patricia Mauladi, Edna Nyamhazha, Tafadzwa Mawango, Tafadzwa Matura, Claris Kwaramba, Mercy Mukwadi, Sharon Bwanali, Felistas Kwangwa, Christine Kadandara, Portia Miti.