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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
MASIYE Netball League founder Joseph Nkomazana says they are in desperate need of a financial bailout to assist clubs during this lockdown.

A few weeks ago the league lamented the ongoing inactivity, which it said made it difficult for clubs to keep players motivated.

The main goal of the social league is to promote and protect the girl child from the risks of HIV/Aids and away from the lure of drug abuse.

According to Nkomazana, just like boys, if left idle, the girls are at risk of indulging in dangerous behaviours that might ruin their lives at an early age.

“All teams are grounded as a result of the Covid-19 situation and lockdown. Although we are communicating using various social media platforms, it’s still a difficult situation. The idea behind the weekly meetings is just to update each other so that at least we know whether teams are still there, but as you know, our problem is that people are stuck in their houses, meaning there’s no training,” said Nkomazana.

“Maybe if we get something to give those children, that little support will encourage them so that when the pandemic has been contained and we can resume normal training and competition, the girls know that they were being supported and not neglected. So far we haven’t received any help from anyone to assist the girls, but we are hoping we get help before we return to the field. If we were playing I believe we were not going to have these problems, as we believe we’ll would have come by easily, but right now it’s difficult for just about everyone.”

Notwithstanding the challenges they are facing, Nkomazana is happy with the way most of the girls have applied themselves.

The league produced Beauty Sithole, who was part of the Gems’ squad for the Vitality Netball World Cup in Liverpool last year.

Before sporting activities were suspended, the teams had played only the first round of games.

Teams in the league include Golden Girls, Jess Academy, Flying Eagles, Royal Montlers, Sizinda Queens, Mighty Queens, Swallows, Expandables, Seven Stars, Young Queens, Lobengula Leopards, East Rovers, Caaz and New Vision. – @innocentskizoe