ESWATINI TARGET TOP RANKING IN AFRICAN NETBALL

MBABANE – Eswatini netball national squad is hoping to get into world rankings when they compete in the Africa Netball Tournament.

The tournament was scheduled for Namibia but was unfortunately postponed pending analysis on the global developments around COVID-19. 

As per the world rankings released in July, 2020, the kingdom of Eswatini’s national team missed the ranking mark in the 41 countries that were listed mainly because of their inability to compete in international tournaments. 

Australia is ranked first position with 205 points, New Zealand comes second with 182 while England and Jamaica were placed third and fourth with 175 points. 

South Africa made it to fifth position with 150 points. In 2016, the Eswatini team were ranked 30th in the world. Their last international contest was in Singapore in 2017. 

postponement

In early March, the International Netball Federation announced the postponement of the Netball World Cup Qualifiers until further notice. For the first time in history, the netball world cup will be held on African soil in South Africa, Cape Town in 2023 on dates to be confirmed by the INF.

According to Eswatini National Netball Association President, Simangele Motsa, the kingdom of Eswatini had a better chance of qualifying for the world cup provided that they excel in the up coming regional Africa Netball Tournament.

“The Africa Netball Tournament was to be held in Namibia but was put on hold due to COVID-19 and it is highly possible it will be shifted to next year. We want to expose our girls in the African Netball Tournament and I believe that we will qualify for the 2023 World Cup,” said Motsa

allowed

Following the INF Netball Africa’s virtual Annual General Meeting held on Friday via Zoom, Motsa said some of the African countries had started hosting netball tournaments and domestic leagues and hoped that international travel would be allowed for athletes to compete in the regional tournaments ahead of the world cup qualifiers.

“We are still awaiting the government’s announcement pertaining to the resumption of other sports including netball. 

‘‘If we are not allowed to play in our country, then we will have to wait a little longer to participate in regional tournaments,” said Motsa.

Motsa further thanked ENNA’s sponsors at Swaziland Building Society and Inhlonhla Investment Company for their continuous support in hosting local tournaments and leagues.

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