The 13 member league is divided into three groups with the top two teams at the end of the league qualifying for finals, set for April 1 to 3, according to Lesimole Moletsane Sefeane, of the Raiders Netball Club.

At least three matches would be played at one venue, she said.

Commenting on the standard of the game, she said some teams, including the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF), Lesotho Prisons Service (LPS) and Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) netball clubs, usually dominate the domestic league because they have ample time for training while the rest only manage to find time to train in the evenings, after working hours.

Local teams fail to make it internationally because of lack of exposure, she said.

The league however, has a programme to take the game to the community, and would host games in Botha Bothe and in Maseru on February 12 and 19 respectively as part of this programme.

LDF are the defending champions having won the tournament last year and are still considered hot favourites to defend it this season.

07 February 2005