Times Of Swaziland: FORCES DERBY IN SBS NETBALL LEAGUE

FORCES DERBY IN SBS NETBALL LEAGUE
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BY PHOLSILE HLOPHE on 14/02/2020 00:26:00


MBABANE – It is a men’s game you do not want to miss. After taking a break
in respect of the annual Marula Festival held last weekend at Buhleni Royal
Residence, the Swaziland Building Society (SBS)-sponsored Netball League returns
with a bang. Zakhele netball courts in Manzini will be a hive of activity with
games starting at 8am until 6:30pm.
One of the biggest fixtures of the day is a forces derby between Correctional
Services and Eswatini Umbutfo Defense Force (EUDF) men’s team who will lock
horns starting at exactly 8am until 9:30am. Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS)
will clash with Vixens at 5pm.
The elite ladies’ netball teams, which play as feeders of the national team,
will resume their games at 9:30am. Royal Swaziland Sugar Corporation (RSSC) have
a date with Fashions at 9:30am, followed by Vixens and Manzini Ladies at 11am.
The sugar belt ladies are currently submerged at the basement of the log table.
They are parading zero points, resulting from 13 defeats in all matches. Having
conceded a total of 1 100 goals since the league’s inception, they have a
negative balance of 872 goals. Their opponents in Fashions are second from the
log bottom, having recorded only one victory and a goal difference of -556.
defending
The league’s defending champions, Correctional, who are placed second on the
log ladder, will take on Mbabane Raiders at 12:30pm. The Thobile Nzama-led team
is trailing by 94 goals behind REPS who have set the bar by scoring a total of 1
234 goals in 15 games. In their last game, they beat UEDF 53-28 while
Correctional punished Manzini Ladies 77-8.
Going into the match with two games in hand, RSSC will play their second game at
2pm after having the privileged of resting for three hours. Fashions will meet
OlympAfrica, a teenage dominated team at 15:30pm. Eswatini National Netball
Association (ENNA) Management Committee (MC) member Bongiwe Gamedze emphasised
the importance of time keeping.
“We urge all teams to keep time so that we finish our games on time. The games
are at their peak and we would like to invite the public to come and be there as
early as 8am,” said Gamedze.
Article 7.1.5 section B of the 2019/2020 SBS Netball League read; “Any team
which fails to arrive on time must take to the court and be ready to play as
soon as possible and in any event, within the 30minutes of the agreed starting
time. Teams should be given a minimum of five minutes for players to warm up to
prevent injuries and this should be done as soon as there are five players
present. The delay will come with a summary fine of E100.”
cancelled
In an event where a game has to be cancelled, the rules state it clearly that
the non-offending team will be awarded two points and 75 goals for the match and
the offenders will have two points deducted from them.
This offence carries a summary fine of E1000 for elite teams and E200 for
regional teams. The persistent act of not honouring games on three occasions
then leads to disciplinary actions by the MC and this may result to the team
being expelled from competing in the league.