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Sports Reporter
AS the count down to the International Handball Federation Trophy Zone VI continues, Zimbabwe’s Under-18 team coach Alan Mandeya is confident of making to the top three.

Zimbabwe are hosting the regional tournament for the Under-18 and Under-20 men’s teams from October 17 to 23 with competition set for Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex and City Sports Centre.

The technical teams have had to make some adjustments to their squads since some of the expected players have school commitments.

Mandeya said despite the setback, they have come up with a good side he expects to at least finish in the top three.
“The most affected people are ones who are going to write exams, you would see that we resorted to use a younger age-group which is from 2005 to 2006 and they are few 2004 students, who are players who are also writing ‘A’ levels. But those ones are writing the exams after the tournament.

“The younger ones were those born in 2006, they are pretty young…But when we were training with them, when they were playing some friendly matches, I think we have got a good team.

“We are expecting to get a minimum of a silver and then a maximum of a gold because when they were playing some friendly matches, they were really responding well to what we had (been doing in training).

“And looking at the age groups they were playing when we were playing friendly matches, they are quite okay, they are fine,” Mandeya said.

Zimbabwe is fielding both Under-18s and Under-20s for the tournament.