
Mabelreign Girls High Players Charm Selectors
The hockey girls from Mabelreign are back at it again, sparkling in every outing and grabbing the attention of scouts and selectors alike as they go about their conquering ways.
Famed for their unexpected but hard-fought triumph in the highly-competitive 2015 Jan Robertson League, Mabelreign Girls High School are still brewing terrific performances and were recently rewarded with the selection of some of their players into the provincial teams.
Goal-forward Diolyn Phiri, one of the sharpest shooters in the Zimbabwe Schools Hockey League, was retained in the Harare District Under-18A team and is tipped to remain in the centre circle when the Zimbabwe U18 side tours South Africa in August.
Rufaro Nyaoda, a fellow MGHS first-teamer for three years, won selection into the provincial side's Under-18C team. Nyaoda has also been one of the school's esteemed performers since at least last season.
But it is the Harare District Under-16 team that is totally dominated by the Mabelreign girls. Natasha Muwani and Athina Mujibha, both doing their Form Four studies were picked for the province's A side while Karen Budhe and goalkeeper Tanatsiwa Denenga will do duty for Harare District U16C team.
The provincial trials were held at Chisipite Senior School last weekend and ran for three days from Friday to Sunday, during which MGHS dazzled the various scouts, selectors and stakeholders present, leading to selection of the six players.
It was the second tournament the school travelled for in the new term after attending the St John's College Annual Hockey Festival earlier in the month which, besides boys' outfits, also drew the participation of fellow girls schools such as Chisipite, Arundel and Dominican Convent plus the girls teams from Heritage, Hellenic and Peterhouse.
MGHS opened the tournament with a 2-all draw with Dominican Convent before overcoming the Borrowdale Brooke side Heritage College 2-1.
Coach Hilton Fiyanda's girls only met their match in the dreaded Chisipite Senior School who emerged victorious from their tie and Hellenic Academy in a follow-up defeat.
Fiyanda told Sportszone Mabelreign Girls High were not losing focus in spite of the reverse results against the two dominant teams of the Zimbabwe Schools Hockey League who also met in the Golden Girls Tournament final last year.
"We are currently competing on two fronts, in the ZimSchools B League and the Jan Robertson League and our aim is to win both competitions this year. Other than that, we have set our sights on the Inter-Provincial Tournament in Bulawayo on 26-27 May,'' he said.
MGHS will also be expected to strut their stuff at the annual end of term Golden Girls Tournament at Arundel School. They featured at the event last year and were fixtured in the second rung Silver Girls tournament, finishing in fourth position.
Mabelreign Girls High School players in Harare District Teams.
Harare District U18
Diolyn Phiri - U18A
Rufaro Nyaoda - U18C
Harare District U16
Natasha Muwani - U16A
Athina Mujibha - U16A
Karen Budhe - U16C
Tanatsiwa Denenga - U16C (Goal Keeper)
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