A Fruitful partnership Between Netball Zambia & Sport In Action

Zambia Netball u21’s recently travelled to South Africa for their World Cup Qualifiers, and they returned home after a successful bid and finished in third place, giving them qualification to the Netball Youth World Cup!

Sport in Action have partnered with Netball Zambia for a number of years now, with the goal of improving the delivery of Netball Nationally, and using Netball as a tool to change the lives of the girl child across the country.

In South Africa, Zambia had three players that had emerged from the Sport in Action pathway and programming; Catherine Mwansa; Ivy Mwansa; and Christine Muleya.

Sport in Actions Netball Development Officer, Felistus Nseba is extremely proud of the girls and their journey.

“I’m so happy for them, I started coaching them, before taking up this role of Development Officer, and we said back then that we wanted to see more of our players in the National Teams, and it has happened.”

She also expressed desire to see this more in the future;

“we need to share this story and success with the coaches in the hub-sites and encourage them that their efforts can lead to big achievements of sporting success!”

furthermore, Felistus stimulated motivation within the girls to use their platform as role models to guide and inspire the next generation to follow similar journeys.

In partnership with Netball Zambia, Sport in Action has contributed to multiple levels of the Netball Pathway, including Grassroots Programming, Performance Pathways, Capacity Development, and Facility Development. Sport in Actions programming has contributed to over 10,000 young people across Zambia on a weekly basis through the Hub-Sites, which has been positively endorsed and praised by World Netball.

Netball Zambia President, Martha Lungu Sichone stated

“It’s a great partnership that has seen us grow, and the hub-sites have really changed how Netball is here in Zambia, and we are seeing the girls from the hub-sites now flooding our national teams at different age groups. With the help of Sport in Action and the Wallace Group we want to keep seeing hub-sites grow across the country”.

The Hub-Sites and their success was presented to the Netball World in Cape Town at the World Netball Africa Development Day, with huge praise for the work they have done to implement sustainable Netball.Sport in Action also has teams that compete in the Community Youth League, the junior elite level of Netball in Zambia.

Netball Zambia’s Senior Head Coach is also Sport in Action Alumni, originating from Chibolya, Andres Tembo speaks highly of the hub-sites and Sport in Actions contribution to Netball.

“This wouldn’t have happened for me if I didn’t have the chance to get my ACOF qualification through the Hub-Sites.”

He further went on to say;

“Without the hub-sites, it feels netball would be dead, they set the foundation for Netball in Zambia, we have coaches, officials and even administrators and facilitators of the sport there. The hub-sites are really important to Netball in Zambia, they have seen players and coaches move through the pathway and into National Team set ups”.

Sport in Action have also created multiple netball facilities. These includes Netball Facilities constructed by Sport in Action in several communities, including; Fountain of Hope, Kaunda Square (Kiine School), Munali (Munali Boys & Girls School), Chipata (Chipata Open Community School), and this year will again see a brand-new Netball Facility in Kanyama at Chinika School, supported and funded by the Volunteer Zambia Foundation and other UK Partners such as Durham University.

Sport in Action also works hand in hand with the Wallace Group to assist with capacity development of coaches and leaders through the Volunteer Zambia Project. This encompasses an Entry to Netball Qualification that is endorsed by Netball Zambia, and has now graduated over 100 coaches since 2019!

Netball Zambia Vice President Technical, Jessie Hewuka said:

“We have been in need of capacity development for our coaches, and we are so grateful for Sport in Action. They have really been there for us and the partnership we have, is very exciting and they have really helped to grow Netball with us”

Sport in Actions Sport Development Manager Jack Preston is also proud of what the partnership has achieved.

“Netball is a growing sport globally, and here in Zambia, the rest of the globe has had to take note of the way netball is run here now. Starting with the Hub-Sites, to the capacity development and the effective nature of the entire Netball Pathway in Zambia, Sport in Action has played a huge role in assisting Netball Zambia in being a model for other African Nations to follow if they also want Netball to thrive”.