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Tinashe Kusema
For a player sidelined by injury and out of commission for the next couple of months, Constance ‘Kadiki’ Ngwende finds herself in surprisingly high spirits.
The 22-year-old is currently grounded, with her leg strapped up in a cast.
The Sevens starlet suffered what was initially believed to be a broken leg during last weekend’s Africa Cup Sevens tournament and the Olympic qualifier in Tunisia.
Kadiki is finding solace in the fact that her injury is not as bad as initially diagnosed.
She watched the better part of the tournament from the sidelines as the Lady Cheetahs were knocked out of the tournament during the preliminary stages. Consequently, their chances of booking a ticket to Japan next year went up in smoke.
It was indeed a teary experience.
“Watching the team play from the sidelines was one of the worst experiences ever, and a few tears trickled down my cheeks,” said Kadiki.
“It was a hard pill to swallow as I had travelled all the way to Tunisia with the intention of playing. I was looking forward to the tournament,” she said.
“I got injured during our second match against South Africa when I fell awkwardly after a tackle from an opposing player,” said Kadiki.
“She fell on my leg, with her weight doing the damage. I remember hearing a sound upon impact. Luckily the injury is just a fracture, with time and rehab it will heal. Expect to see me back on the field.”
Kadiki said the experience was an eye opener. However, it was not all gloom and doom for Zimbabwe as the southern African nation’s rankings improved.
The Lady Cheetahs are now ranked eighth on the continent, having climbed three rungs up. Kadiki is looking forward to come back a better player.
“I am still very young and have a lot to learn and offer the team. Rugby is my passion and I want to play and win every game,” she said.
“Rugby is all about mindset, attitude and determination, and we were found wanting in most of these areas.
“It’s unfortunate that we went into the tournament with a very young and inexperienced team. Most of the girls did not have international experience, let alone at this level.
“It didn’t help much that we did not have enough time to camp and prepare as a team, with most of these kids just thrown into the deep end.
“Most of the teams at the tournament have improved and continue to do so at a very fast past. It’s time we put more emphasis into grassroots development so that our players are better prepared for such opposition and tournaments,” she said.
Kenya booked their tickets to the 2020 Olympics, as the East African nation finished 14-15 runners-up to South Africa, who beat them in the final, although they had already qualified for next year’s games in Japan.
Tunisia and Madagascar qualified for the Olympic repechage tournament in June next year.
Online Reporter