She Cranes confirm Zimbabwe friendly

KAMPALA. The She Cranes team is looking forward to hosting Zimbabwe national team for a series of friendly games ahead of Netball World Cup due July 12-21 in Liverpool, England.
Susan Anek the Uganda Netball Federation (UNF) president told this paper that the Zimbabwe Gems will be in the country at the end of this month-dates not yet confirmed.

First, third and sixth ranked Australia, Jamaica and Malawi respectively were among Uganda’s targets for friendlies and each trip to the listed destinations was estimated to consume Shs547m of this year’s budget. However, the World Cup is nearing but these countries are yet to respond to Uganda’s request for friendly games.
According to Anek, it is only South Africa that established that she will not get involved in any friendly game with Uganda.
“We expected to have a friendly game with South Africa as well but they failed us, however, now we are sure that Zimbabwe will be in Uganda at the end of this month,” she said. “Other countries have not yet confirmed to us but we are still looking forward to those games,” she added.

Zimbabwe pitted in pool A of the Netball World with Australia, Northern Ireland and Sri-Lanka beat all the other participants apart from Uganda in the African qualifiers held last year in Zambia.
The World Cup debutants fall to Uganda 66-51 thus securing a second place in the event where the She Cranes emerged champions.
This week started with the She Cranes undergoing medical tests involving pregnancy, Hepatitis B as well as injuries after which 20 out of the 37 players who have been in non-residential training will enter residential.

NETBALL WC DRAWS
Group A: Australia, N.Ireland, Zim, Sri Lanka
Group B: New Zealand, Malawi, Barbados, Singapore
Group C: Jamaica, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Fiji
Group D: England, Uganda, Scotland, Samoa

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