A Bright Star is Born

Edmore Maziofa
Most people associate young girls with pink frills and hobbies like cooking. Although women’s soccer has been around for a long time, it is not often that people think female when they hear the word footballer.  Meet Rutendo Grace Chitumbika, the youngest player in the Mashonaland West Provincial League Division Two.

She turns out for Bright Stars Academy. Bright Stars Academy is a girl’s football team that takes players aged from 16 to 20 from Norton, a dormitory town 40km west of Harare and its surrounding areas.

Rutendo was born on May 12 1997 and has put her 16 years of life to good use.
She is a defender with a gift of good frame and stamina that would be admired by Yinga Kudaisi of Super Falcons of Nigeria. She plays right back where her ability to use both legs make her an impregnable wall.

She joined Bright Stars Academy in 2011 when it was formed and in 2012 she scooped the team’s Most Improved Player of the Year Award to prove that she has benefited from the training. The untiring teen can easily stand her ground for the entire 90 minutes of play without losing her cool.

Rutendo told Cool Lifestyle that joining football was not an accident that just happened but the fulfilment of an early ambition:
“I always wanted to be a football player ever since I was young.”

But it was not easy to take what she wanted as she had to fight against gender stereotyping before she could take the road she wanted:
“I was kind of shy at first to come out in the open since it is considered a male sport,” Rutendo shared.

“But now it is a place where she can earn some pride as well as inspire other teens to realise that they can be anything that they want to be.

“As young female player, I believe my efforts are positive to those girls that want to venture into football. I say try it on sisters we can do it.”

Meanwhile, Rutendo is not satisfied with a permanent first team jersey in a provincial Division Two team.
She has her heart set on getting right to the top and that is where she is headed.
“My dreams are that one day I should play for the Mighty Warriors.

“In fact, I will not rest until I achieve that,” she promised Cool Lifestyle, and we in turn promise to keep tabs on the rising star and chart her success as it happens.

Rutendo says she is grateful that her parents are supportive of her efforts, helping her in making sure that she balances the demands of her school work, household chores and foot-ball.

Rutendo’s mother says that the fact that Rutendo is a girl has nothing to do with her abilities.
“I have watched her playing and I don’t doubt that she can match any boys of her age in this sport,” was the vote of confidence from Mrs Chitumbika, Rutendo’s mother.

“This is the path God has chosen for her, who are we to try to control her dreams?
“What is left for us as parents is to support her in all her efforts to be a star,” said Mr Chitumbika, her father who believes that the sport need no longer male-dominated.

Cool Lifestyle gives a huge big up to the Chitumbika for their investment
For Rutendo life is not all football and no play. She enjoys other things like hanging out with her friends and listening to music and watching movies where her second option lies.

“I like acting also, given the chance I would want to try it someday,” shared Rutendo.
We say go on hitting that girl.