Cricket is my passion, but I also love netball. Although I never played the sport, it has had a significant impact on my life. It’s the game that allowed me to enter the newsroom of the Sunday Mail when I was halfway through my Journalism studies at the age of 20. My netball journey reached its climax in 2013 when I covered my first African Championship in Malawi. I am proud to say that I was part of the group that came up with the Zimbabwe Netball team’s name, Gems. One of the incredible people that I met through netball is Felisitus Kwangwa, whom most people know as the first Zimbabwean to play professional netball in England (for Surrey Storm) and Zimbabwe captain.
To me, she is a close friend.
Recently, I had an interview with Kwangwa which was unexpectedly difficult because it was meant to celebrate Zimbabwe’s second appearance at the Netball Youth World Cup, which didn’t happen. Zimbabwe failed to qualify for the Gibraltar World Cup by the tightest of margins. Kwangwa was the team manager of this year’s youth team.
In 2016, she captained Zimbabwe to their first appearance at the Netball Youth World Cup, but her journey with that team ended at the qualifier because she was ineligible to play at the World Cup due to her age.
Cape Town.
Pic: World Netball
So, I thought this interview should be a casual conversation between two friends.
And that’s what I attempted to do when I caught up with my friend Felisitus Kwangwa.
We have been friends for about a decade, but I still don’t know why she does almost everything with a smile.
“I don’t know why I always smile,” Kwangwa responded. “But I know whatever I do most of the time, I do it wholeheartedly, probably that’s why it’s easy to do it with a smile. I am just someone who expresses happiness with a smile when I am enjoying whatever I am doing.”
I remember a skinny athletic player making her debut for the senior team as a defender in 2015. It’s amazing but not surprising she has earned 100 caps for Zimbabwe.
“I am still that skinny player,” she joked. “When I was playing, I always set goals and tried to achieve them because I believe everything comes out of your hard work and it’s all God’s time.”
“When I was playing for the juniors before being promoted to the senior team, I always told myself to work hard to get to the senior team. I don’t know if I can say my prayers were answered very early because I only had two assignments with the junior team before being promoted to the senior team.”
“The funny part is, on my second assignment with the senior team, I was appointed vice-captain. I can say hard work pays, dedication, and being humble of course, knowing you can learn from seniors and I would always ask questions despite being the vice-captain. Most of them were keen to help.”
“Getting 100 caps for the senior team is something I thank the Lord for, my teammates, and everyone who has been part of the netball journey. Of course, being captain is something I never expected in my life, but I have always been a captain from my primary and high school days. Being a leader in netball has helped me to be a better person off the court because you have to be accountable and responsible.”
No doubt, Kwangwa has become an inspiration to most young players in Zimbabwe and recently some got up close with her when she was part of the technical team during the World Youth Cup Qualifier in South Africa.
“Most of them were surprised that I could interact with everyone,” she replied. “I don’t know what perception they were given by others that I am a snob, but as far as I know, and some people know me, I am not that kind of a person. So they felt free around me and wanted to do TikTok with me, playing fun games, you can name it.”
“Some of the questions they asked were about how they can improve their game, how they can become better players, how they can maintain discipline on and off the court, and how they can handle pressure when playing at big tournaments like the World Cup. I was happy to share my experiences and help them in any way I could.”
Unfortunately, Zimbabwe narrowly missed qualification. But is all hope lost?
“I think the future is very bright if we are to nurture all those players who went for the Qualifiers and of course, some who did not make it into the the squad. I hope it will be possible although I know there are many challenges we will come across such as marriage, pregnancy, relocation searching for greener pastures, you can name them.”
Netball World Cup, Liverpool, 2019
Netball World Cup, Liverpool, 2019. What meaning does this have for my friend?
“Oh my god, I still remember everything like it just happened yesterday. I think most of my special moments in netball are from the 2019 World Cup. Being in a foreign land thousands of miles away from Zimbabwe, but of course, feeling like you are at your second home because of the massive support that we got from fellow Zimbabweans based in the UK.”
“I told myself this might be my first and last time to play in a World Cup so I had to enjoy and of course, give my best. I think that’s why our performance as a team was top notch considering that it was our maiden World Cup and I think everyone played their hearts out.”
“Former captain Perpetual, the late Pauline Jani had worked for so many years probably after serving 10 years in the national team and then that opportunity to go to the World Cup came, and I think everyone was hungry for it and everyone went there to give their best.”
“I feel like it was different from the recent World Cup it was a different group with not as much hunger as the first group.”
“We learn from our mistakes and I can say other teams managed to read how Zimbabwe plays because when we went there for the first time no one knew what Zimbabwe could do. Most of the teams did their homework on Zimbabwe and that’s probably the reason we didn’t get where we wanted to be at the recent World Cup, but 2019 was my best.”
It’s easy to forget that Kwangwa wears another uniform for work.
“I know a lot of people when they think of Felisitus think of netball, think of their captain, netball is part of my life but as a (Zimbabwe) Correctional (Services) officer as well I still played netball at work and I can say my whole time of service I have been more into netball as compared to doing the general duties and stuff.”
“I am grateful to what Correctional Services have done in support of my netball career and of course my workmates and everyone else who has been part of my netball journey.”
“I will be glad to see more Correctional Service Officers doing better than what I have done as an athlete.”
At some point, this chat had to end because as friends we could talk for hours.