Sat, 09 Sep 2017 11:41:24 +0000
By Grace Chaile Lesoetsa
ZAMBIA started her campaign for the five-nation Pent Series netball title on a bright note beating hosts Namibia 53 -45 in a tightly contested game on Thursday evening.
The Zambian Queens kicked off the game on a high note to lead the first quarter 13-12.
But the Desert Jewels returned strong and mounted pressure on the Zambian defenders to take the lead at 17-16.
Namibia failed to hold on to the lead as Zambia struck back to go 25-19 ahead before ending the third quarter with a commanding 30-22 lead. Zambia held on to the lead to win the final quarter 53-45.
In other results, Botswana suffered double defeat losing 39-32 to Swaziland before being humbled 52-40 by Zimbabwe. The tournament is being played under a round robin system.
Meanwhile, Zambia coach Charles Zulu was elated with the team’s performance against the hosts.
Zulu said the players gave out their all in the game to get a win against a tough Namibian team.
“Namibia is a strong side so it’s not easy to get a win. I am happy the players remained strong and managed to pick victory in our opening game. This win is a morale booster heading into the next game,” he said.
The team was scheduled to face Zimbabwe yesterday.
