Veronica Gwaze–Sports Reporter
REIGNING Premier Netball League champions, Platinum Queens, have been thrown into disarray after Platinum Holdings, the club’s parent company, decided to disband the team.
Platinum Queens have been winning the title since the inception of the Premier Netball League three years ago.
They jumped ship from the Glow Petroleum-sponsored Rainbow Amateur Netball League where they were the reigning champions.
Coach Simbarashe Mlambo is also the PNL Reigning Coach of Year while budding goal shooter Chipo Shoko holds the Shooter of the Year title.
Mlambo’s team also features a large number of players who make up the junior and senior national teams.
Ngezi Platinum Queens, who finished their 2023 PNL campaign in third place, will also not be taking part in the league this season.
Platinum Holdings and Zimplats, who are the corporate bedrocks for the two clubs, have been having some financial challenges owing to the global fall in the price of platinum.
The platinum mines announced plans to downsize operations earlier this year, even offering mine workers a chance to take up voluntary retrenchment packages.
“We survive on netball and this has been a huge blow for us, especially considering the time that we got the message,” said a Platinum Queens player.
“It is difficult to get another club now, we have to wait for the next transfer window if we are to move elsewhere.”
Both sides have been training since the off-season before the sad news was delivered at the start of the week.
The developments also come at a time when chaos is blighting netball following the club exodus from the PNL.
This saw the emergence of a splinter league, Tacco Super Netball League, which was founded by former PNL executives.
“With what is happening, it becomes difficult to convince our parent clubs to soldier on or even find a sponsor because who would want to invest in such a chaotic situation?” said an executive member, who refused to be named.
“Our players survive on sport and for things to end this way, it is sad.”