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WITH an All-Africa Games silver medal in 1995, Lorraine Mudondiswika is grateful to Hwange sporting legend and multi sports trainer John Nkonde for converting her to a netballer.
The netball legend who made a name for herself as a wing defender for Wankie, ZPC Hwange and the national team was an athlete throughout her primary and secondary school days. Her favourite being the high jump event.
Mudondiswika who was born in Bulawayo on 25 September 1971, concedes that the brilliant performances for Eveline High School by former Mabinga Primary School, Hwange player Prisca Utete, made her love the sport at school.
“I was an athlete. I used to watch Prisca Utete playing at school, that is when I got to like the sport at Eveline High School,” said the wing defence great.
Her father who worked in the police force moved to Hwange after she completed her third year at secondary school and she transferred to Hwange Government School. On arrival in the sporting coal mining town, Mudondiswika continued with athletics, dreaming big as the sport had previously shaped up the careers of greats like Cyprian Tseriwa, Charles Mafika, Prize Ndlovu, Adon Treva, Charles Gumbo, Vuyani Fulunga Moyo, Elijah Nkala and the legendary middle and long-distance runner Zephaniah Ncube.
“I used to tell Nkonde that I can play netball and he invited me to try out with other girls and after a week I was in the final 11,” said the star.
Mudondiswika was in the starting line-up and won her first game which was great to build her confidence in her new sport at the beginning of 1994. In the coming weeks the team trained for a tournament in Harare and goosebumps were all over her as those were uncharted waters for the rookie.
She put up such a splendid display that she was drafted into a provisional national team. Wankie Netball Club won the tournament. The Colliery Club was not in the national league and used to take part in tournaments which meant Hwange players lost out but their consolation was that they were often poached by clubs such as Chinotimba and ZPC Munyati.
Mudondiswika was part of the 1994 Matabeleland North and Bulawayo Province team that won the Independence Inter-Provincial Championships.
“I played a few games for the Hwange team. We won several tournaments and even with my local Hwange team we won. Nationally we played against St Mary’s, Shamva, Mhangura, Athens Mine, How Mine, Zimbank and Highlanders Netball Clubs. We were prevailing over these clubs,” she said.
She had arrived in the big girls arena and rubbing shoulders with Zimbabwe’s best players. The top players then were Sithulile Mlotshwa, Denis Gumbo, Dorica Katano and Albertina Gono.
She recalls playing against Namibia, Botswana, Malawi and South Africa between 1994 and 1995 and going all the way to win the All Africa Games silver medal. She describes winning second spot at the continental Games as the highlight of her career.
Mudondiswika also speaks highly of the national team coach a Phambane who worked hard in coming up with a good national team.
“South Africa was the only team to beat us. In the national team I played wing defender while for Wankie who later changed to Hwange I played goal defender. The All-Africa Games remain my most memorable tournament,” said the mother of two who played with Stali Mabhuku, Scholar Phiri, Sekani Phiri, Debra Rendo, Tina Mwale and Martha Banda.
Qualifying for the World Cup in two consecutive tournaments is deserved as she feels the standards of the game have always been high with the challenge being sponsorship for national activity that has development and tournaments at all age groups for talent identification and development.
Mudondiswika, after six years of active netball participation decided to retire from the sport. Staying in Hwange meant days away from family and long trips around the country to play matches and tournaments.
She returned to her sport in 2010 and continued from where she left a decade ago and joined Hwange Netball Club. Mudondiswika returned to national limelight in 2012 with ZPC Hwange where she frustrated many attackers with her great defence game.
In 2016 at the age of 46, she demonstrated that age is a number when she was adjudged the best defender in a tournament sponsored by Old Mutual. That was her last game as she retired to settle with her family in Victoria Falls where she is staying with her two sons Linford and Raymond.
Online Reporter