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Peter Phiri Sports Correspondent
EIGHT players were selected for the women’s wheelchair basketball provincial team during trials held at the Bulawayo Courts of the Disabled (BCD) on Saturday. The players are Deliwe Moyo, Irene Moyo and Ratidzo Tomu of Qhubekha Wheelchair Basketball Club.
Bulawayo Club of the Disabled (BCD) contributed two players Silindeni Muzerengi and Molene Muza while Shining Stars have Fungai Khanye, Juliet Mutamhiri and Diana Tavengwa.

The eight will battle for places in the Zimbabwe national team which will participate in the World Cup qualifiers in Johannesburg, South Africa, in August.

The trials were conducted by national team manager Nkosilathi Dube who described the process as a success.
‘‘It was a success and 22 players from three clubs turned up for the trials. The girls were impressive during the trials and will now battle for places in the national team with other players from Harare. We want to build a very strong national team which will compete at the highest level,’’ said Dube.

Dube was assisted by Marvellous Tshili of BCD, George Phiri of Shining Stars and Aleck Madeya of Khubekha.
Wheelchair Basketball Association of Zimbabwe president Walter Ndlovu said the selection process went smoothly.

‘‘So far so good our selection process went smoothly with players vying to impress the selectors. There was intense competition among the players which is good for the sport. We have selected the best players from Bulawayo,’’ said Ndlovu.

He said they want to take the best Zimbabwean team to South Africa which will do the country proud.
‘‘We have selected these players on merit and there was no bias in the selection process. Everyone who has been selected deserves to be in Harare for the final selection. The cream of Zimbabwe wheelchair basketball should represent the nation and we will do our best to achieve something in South Africa,’’ he said.

Some of the countries that will take part in the qualifiers are the hosts, South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria.
Zimbabwe’s women team is ranked last in Africa because they have never played any international matches.