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Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
OVER the years, Zimbabwean women have made some strides in sport as they continue to make a mark at various levels, putting the country on the world map.

Several success stories have been registered by female athletes in individual and team sports, bringing some form of hope to a country that is still trying to find a place among those nations regarded as best sporting nations.

In most cases, it has been cases of rising above various challenges due to lack of meaningful support for the female athletes to realise their full potential.

The most recent example is the national senior netball team’s qualification for the World Cup to be staged this July in Liverpool, England.

It’s one of those success stories where the sport has been gradually making progress despite several challenges that continue to haunt the sport.

But there hasn’t been much recognition for the team’s efforts.

The Gems secured their place at the forthcoming World Cup last August during the qualifying event held in Lusaka, Zambia.

It’s the first time they will be appearing at the global stage as they emulate their Under-21 side that made its debut appearance at the World Youth Cup in 2017.

The Gems were in 2015 crowned African champions.

The Under-21 hockey team also graced the World Junior Cup in Chile in 2016.

Swimming icon Kirsty Coventry, who is now Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Minister has been leading from the front since her competing days, being the only athlete to have won a medal for this country at the Olympics, to add on to the country’s first medal won by the Golden Girls of field hockey in 1980.

That hockey team announced Zimbabwe’s arrival on the Olympic stage by claiming a gold medal at the Moscow Games.

Coventry remains one of the best sportpersons to emerge from this country and continues to lead the way.

Despite women showing their capabilities that they can match their male counterparts in their respective sporting disciplines, it appears there is still a long way to go for women in sport to get the recognition they deserve.

And as the country joins the rest of the world today to celebrate International Women’s Day, it’s high time to reflect on our attitude towards women in sport.

This year’s campaign theme is #BalanceforBetter and it speaks a lot to the current situation in Zimbabwe where female athletes have been treated as second class athletes despite them giving their best and leading the way in terms of success.

There is need to change the attitude towards women sport and try to balance the distribution of resources, be it funding or moral support, among other things, to ensure women are treated equally with their male counterparts.

Most of the teams and athletes have had to do with limited resources in their assignments.

But close home, South Africa seems to be doing well with Banyana Banyana continuing to rise and the presence of oil giants Sasol as their major sponsors has made a difference.

It’s the same for the netball team that is sponsored by SPAR.

Some may argue, there are still disparities compared to their male counterparts, but at least they are making efforts to bring some balance between their female and male athletes.

But back home, it’s a different case as there hasn’t been much to talk about when it comes to sponsorship of women’s teams. And this may be a challenge for local corporates to emulate their counterparts in the neighbouring country and also make a difference for female athletes who have been raising this country’s flag high.