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Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe women’s Under-20 handball team’s coach Clemence Tauro is confident his charges will grab a bronze medal when they take on Malawi this afternoon in the third place play-off at the ongoing International Handball Federation Zone V1 tournament at Soweto’s Orlando Sports Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The team lost 37-13 to regional heavyweights Mozambique in the semi-finals played at the same venue yesterday afternoon. After the men’s team crashed out of the tournament in the group stages where they played second fiddle to Mozambique and Zambia, the nation’s hopes for a medal at this bi-annual event are now desperately pinned on the girl child to ensure Team Zimbabwe do not return home empty-handed.

And Tauro has reassured the nation that his team will pull all the stops out to ensure Team Zimbabwe has something to show for their participation at the handball jamboree. “The game against Mozambique was a bit difficult for us . . . They are always training together.

“I should admit that we lost to a better team. Our wish was to play in the final to make sure that we are ensured of a medal but that is not the case now.

“We have to win our match against Malawi at all costs to win a bronze medal. We know the burden which we are carrying on our shoulders. That the boys’ team did not make it to the semis means we are carrying the hopes of the whole nation.

“We are promising to play (some) good handball and try to improve on our goal scoring. Otherwise what I can say is that awe re out to win bronze for the country,” said Tauro.

The Zimbabwe women’s team progressed to the semi-finals from Group A as runners-up to Zambia in a pool which also had Botswana and South Africa.

They secured a semi-final berth after a hard fought 25-18 victory over the hosts South Africa to grab second place in Group A which was topped by Zambia and anchored by Botswana on Monday.

Head of delegation of Team Zimbabwe Beauty Mutsambiwa had earlier predicted that Mozambique will be a tough opponent for the women’s team in yesterday’s semi-finals. “I should say I have been impressed by the way both the boys and girls teams have been performing.

“Although the boys team have been knocked out, I have to salute their gallantry, they played like lions in a group which had teams which carry the handball powerhouses’ tag in the region.

“They fell to Mozambique and Zambia while they were able to beat Botswana in their group. So it was not as bad as it may appear,” said Mutsambiwa. She said she was confident the women’s team will win at least a bronze medal for the country.

“Whether we lose our semi-final match to Mozambique which I should say we will try not to, I think we can still be able to carry home a medal because we will definitely win the third-place play off if we lose the semi-final,” she said. The Zimbabwe men’s Under-20 team found the going tough in their group which had regional powerhouses — Zambia and Mozambique — as well as Botswana, the only team whom they managed to beat.

Men’s team head coach Allan Mandeya was disappointed by his team’s performance but said they will try to better their performance in the next competitions.