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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
A bruising legal battle is on the cards between the Zimbabwe Netball Association (Zina) and the newly formed independent Rainbow Amateur Netball League (RANL) after the former’s reluctance to register the latter.

The new netball league, which seeks to promote the game in the country through massive participation, has submitted its constitution to the Zina leadership so that it can be accepted as an affiliate, but Leticia Chipandu’s long-serving Zina executive seems to be dragging its feet.

This is despite the fact that the new league has received the backing of the Sports and Recreation Commission, the country’s supreme sports body, and has made it clear that it had no intentions of usurping the powers of Zina, but just wants to be an affiliate of the association along similar relations between the Premier Soccer League and Zifa.

The RANL has already secured a $500 000 sponsorship deal from Pickglow Trading (Pvt) Ltd, a feat that has eluded the Zina executive since coming into office.

“We submitted our papers to Zina last week, but they are yet to respond to us and I think we are headed for the High Court to settle this matter,” said RANL secretary-general Moses Gukurume.

Zina secretary-general Barbra Rice did not respond to questions sent to her on their position regarding the RANL submission, but their president Chipandu is on record vilifying the new league.

“This is called proliferation of parallel structures and we won’t entertain that. If they were doing it in good faith, they know about netball, they were in the structures, why couldn’t they just come to say this is what we want to do? This league is not sanctioned period,” Chipandu is quoted as saying. Sources said a pre-season tournament organised by RANL has been pencilled in for White City Stadium this weekend and it will see clubs from across the country taking part.

@skhumoyo2000