the zambian sports series: zambian netball
netball in zambia is governed by the netball association of zambia (NAZ), under the africa netball confederation. the national team's first international medal came at the 2011 all-africa games in mozambique, where zambia placed third. the following year, 2012, brought a cluster of continental results: silver at the CANA tournament in zanzibar, bronze at the COSANA africa cup in tanzania, and bronze at the diamond challenge in south africa.
zambia made its debut on the INF world rankings in october 2012, entering at 22nd in the world. by july 2019, the team had climbed to 15th in the world and 5th in africa.
in september 2016, zambia's senior national netball team won the singapore mission foods nations cup — an INF-recognised ranking tournament featuring papua new guinea, canada, botswana, ireland, zambia, and hosts singapore. zambia's first trophy won outside africa. the team returned home via kenneth kaunda international airport to a jubilant welcome.
the netball world cup record: 17th at the 1999 christchurch world championships, did-not-qualify in 2003 and 2007, did-not-qualify again in 2011, then 14th at the 2015 sydney world cup — zambia's best finish to that point.
2023: zambia won the african netball championship title for the first time ever. the final went to double extra time — finishing 57-55. coach lazarous tembo, only 27 years old and in charge since march that year, became the youngest coach in african netball history to win a continental title. captain beauty nakazwe won the best shooter award. elizabeth bwalya won best mid court.
the team flew home via the zambia air force and were received at the ministry of youth, sport and arts by permanent secretary kangwa chileshe, alongside representatives from atlas mara and vedanta. "as a country this is the first time we are winning the african title… you have made history today."
this had not always been easy ground. at the 2019 africa netball cup in cape town, south africa beat zambia 72-53 in the final. four years later, in 2023, that gap closed enough for zambia to win the continental title outright.
a zambian team that has now done what no zambian team had done before in this competition. continental champions. for the first time. history made.
the zambian sports series continues. 🇿🇲🏆
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