By GRACE CHAILE –
NETBALL Association of Zambia (NAZ) general secretary Pritchard Ngoma says the netball team can achieve the desired results at the Sydney 2015 World Netball Championship with adequate preparations.
Zambia sealed a place at the World Championship after finishing second at the Africa Netball Championship held in Gaborone to make the 16 team that will be battling for honours in August next year.
The International Netball Federation (INF) released the official list of 16 countries that will compete at the World Championship as Australia, New Zealand, England, Jamaica, Malawi and South Africa, Wales, Scotland, Fiji, Samoa, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Uganda and Zambia.
In an interview yesterday, Ngoma said none of the 15 countries that will be competing at the championship would be a threat to Zambia but only if the team prepares well starting now.
He said the national team performance in Botswana showed that the players were capable of achieving more and just need more technical knowledge.
Ngoma said the countries taking part in the tournament were highly ranked but that it was obvious that Zambia, ranked 22, will be considered an underdogs and it will be up to the team to upset tables.
He said with enough resources, NAZ wants to arrange for monthly camping for the team to keep them fit ahead of the tournament.
He advised the players not to relax but put in the best at their various clubs as a way of keeping fit.
This will be Zambia’s second appearance after making a debut at the 1999 New Zealand finals in a tournament that began in 1963.