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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
SPARTANS have begun preparations for the African Volleyball Confederation (CAVB) Zone VI club championships to be hosted in Bulawayo next month.

The championships are set to run from December 7-17 at the International Exhibition Centre and Khumalo Hockey Stadium.

The championships will see clubs from the Zone VI region comprising the top two teams in the male and female categories from each country participating in the tournament.

Spartans, the only team from Bulawayo playing in the national league, will field their men’s and women’s teams. The just ended league saw Spartans men finishing fifth on the six-team table, while the women’s side was third on the four-team table.

It will be the first time for the side to compete in the prestigious continental stage and coach Vulindlela Moyo is confident they will rise to the occasion.

“We have started preparations for the championships and our players have reported for training and we have started training for the regional showpiece. We are hopeful of doing well. We are going to take this tournament as a learning platform since it will be our first appearance. Hopefully, the fact that we are playing at home will boost our chances in the tournament,” said Moyo.

“The greatest challenge in preparing for tournaments of this magnitude or any other competition is getting the financial aspect of things balanced.

“In order to have adequate training and ensure that the players perform to their level best, we need to have enough in our bank balance. There is a need for the corporate world to help improve the game in the country,” he said.

Joining Spartans will be eight other Zimbabwean teams, Support Unit and UZ Wolves, who are all sending male and female teams, while Naba completes the male section and Harare City female side will also be part of the line-up.

Other participating countries are South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland.

@innocentskizoe