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Tadious Manyepo-Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE may not have been part of the 16-team FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup which ended in Spain on Sunday night but the country wasn’t short on representation.
Veteran referee, Annie Joyce Muchenu, pulled the strings and made sure she once again hoisted high the beautiful flag.
That the former national team player was the only referee from southern Africa in this rescheduled global meet made the feat even more special.
She superintended over six games, including Sunday’s ninth place play-off between one of the only two African countries at the tournament Egypt against Canada. The other team from the continent at the contest, Mali, finished last.
Muchenu has become a permanent feature at these high-profile competitions and she has officiated with distinction too. And the just-ended showcase added to her already impressive CV.
“It can only be God. I am humbled to have been part and parcel of this tournament representing my country,” said Muchenu.
“I hope to inspire more females to consider a career in officiating. For me the journey has been very exciting and I continue to learn new things at every tournament I am invited to officiate.”
Muchenu’s journey has not been a walk in the park though.
As she looks back at her maiden participation at the FIBA Under-17 World Cup a dozen years ago, she knows she has indeed come a long way.
“My first World Cup in the 2010 Under-17 in Toulouse, France, was arguably my worst competition. I was faced with quite a number of challenges that I did not expect. My grandmother who raised me also passed away during that time.
“The first challenge was my fellow referees back home were not happy that I was nominated to go and I had no support from my family. I left for France already stressed.
“I even missed my flight. I eventually got there and I was the only black referee and I felt out of place. During the PCC, pre-clinic competition, I remember we had to introduce ourselves. My name is Annie Joyce Muchenu and I am from Zimbabwe then my fellow officials looked down at me, who is this referee from Zimbabwe and where the hell is Zimbabwe? I could see some googling from their phones where is Zimbabwe and showing me ooooh, “This is Zimbabwe.” The worst was still to come.
“During the competition I officiated a total of eight games and five of them involved Mali. I was faced with mental challenges and needed support but couldn’t get any.
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