Patience Muchemwa- Senior Reporter
The UZ Wildcats Ladies Handball Club proudly represented Zimbabwe after being invited by the Zimbabwe Handball Federation to participate in two international friendly matches against Zambia’s Under-18 and Under-20 women’s national teams in Lusaka.
The games, played on August 23 and 24, were part of Zambia’s preparations for the upcoming Zone 6 Championships in Algeria later this year.
The Wildcats departed Harare on Friday, August 22, and kicked off their campaign with a morning training session before facing Zambia’s U-18 side later that day.
The tightly contested match lived up to expectations, thrilling the crowd with end-to-end action before finishing in a 22-22 draw.
Wildcats team manager Valentine Masaiti praised the team’s effort, saying: “It was a thrilling match, very fast and quite entertaining. The ladies showed real character and matched Zambia stride for stride. It was the perfect way to start the tour.”
On Sunday, the Wildcats faced Zambia’s U-20 national team, considered among the strongest in Southern Africa. The Zimbabwean side battled bravely in another high-quality encounter but narrowly lost 24-21.
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Despite the defeat, the spotlight fell on Wersline Zvomuya, whose exceptional performance throughout the tour earned her the Most Valuable Player award.
“To be recognised at this level is such an honour,” Zvomuya said. “But this was not just about me — as a team we played our hearts out and proved that Zimbabwean handball can compete with the very best in the region.”
The Wildcats’ roster was further strengthened by players from Brymaton, Panthers, and City Stars, underlining the collaborative spirit within Zimbabwean handball.
Masaiti said the experience would have long-term benefits for the game:
“We took a lot of positives from these matches. Experiences like this help grow our league and expose our ladies to higher levels of competition.
"The Zambian hosts were fantastic, and we truly hope more tours like this are organised in the future.”
With their spirited displays and Zvomuya’s MVP accolade, the Wildcats not only gained invaluable international exposure but also reaffirmed Zimbabwe’s growing presence in regional handball.
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