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Ellina Mhlanga

Senior Sports Reporter

AFTER getting the clearance to host the International Handball Federation Trophy Zone Six in April, the Zimbabwe Handball Federation are set to take their preparations for the event a gear up.

The tournament, for Under-18 and Under-20 men, is scheduled to run from April 25 to 30 with Zimbabwe hosting it.

Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex and the City Sports Centre are the competition venues.

ZHF were recently granted the approval by the Government, through the Sports and Recreation Commission, to host the regional competition.

“The Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) hereby gives you notice, following your application, that the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation has approved and granted a special waiver for your application for clearance to host the IHF Trophy for the African Sub-Region of Zone Six from 25 April to 30 April 2022 in Harare and Chitungwiza,” reads part of the letter from the Sports Commission.

The event will be held under strict Covid-19 regulations.

ZHF secretary general, Edson Chirowodza, said they have sent out invitation letters to their counterparts from the region.

“The clearance gives us an opportunity to upscale our preparations.

“It also brings confidence to our players that the competition is at hand and their preparation becomes focused.

“This is also a good development in the history of handball in this country, we last hosted a regional event in 2010 and this one is the second one, which has come at a time when sport had suffered a lot of inactivity at regional level due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We sent out an invite this week, so we are still waiting for confirmation. But Malawi, Zambia and Namibia have acknowledged receiving the invite,” said Chirowodza.

The competition venues need to be spruced up and the national federation is engaging the responsible authorities.

“By end of February we hope everything will be in order.

“At Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex there is need for the remarking of the surface, lighting needs attention and just repainting of the facility.

“The City Sports Centre we need a playing surface, then attention to the ablution.

“We have engaged responsible authorities on the areas,” said Chirowodza.

Zimbabwe will field both the Under-18 and Under-20 teams and the national federation held trials last year as part of the selection process.

As part of the build-up, the provisional squads are scheduled to have periodic camps starting this weekend with the Under-20s and then the Under-18s.

Under-18 team coach, Alan Mandeya, said they are looking at establishing their style of play when the periodic camps take off.

“Right now what we want to do, we are going to be working on the combinations and style of play, the system of defence and the system of attack which we are going to use,” said Mandeya.

Mandeya said his main concern is the fitness level of the players considering the lack of activity due to the Civid-19 pandemic.

“My main worry is about the fitness of the players because I think the type of game which we are going to play is very fast and will involve a lot of movement.

“They (the players) when I selected them, had the basics which I liked the most, so my worry is fitness, how they will understand the game and the way they will cope with the drills we are going to have,” said Mandeya.

The teams are expected to have a two-week final camp just before the tournament.