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Veronica Gwaze Sports Reporter
PLATINUM Queens goal shooter and newly crowned Shooter of the Year Chipo Shoko’s story is a typical rags-to-riches tale.
From nursing a bad injury which forced her to the sidelines for weeks on end, she powerfully bounced back to grab a much sought after netball top gong.
Shoko, suffered a knee injury in the last minutes of the 2023 Netball World Cup Qualifiers’ camp in July last year.
She had to be ruled out of the prestigious tournament, which could have been a springboard in her career.
The netball star had made her senior national team debut at the COSANA Tri-nations earlier in June in Malawi were she made a colourful first impression.
Earning a second call-up ahead of the World Cup qualifiers, Shoko had hoped to script another colourful piece.
Unfortunately, she had to watch her mates from the terraces.
However, to Shoko, it is the call-up and camp time that she is more grateful about.
“It may have been disturbing emotionally to lose out at the last minute at a time that I hoped for a turnaround in my career, maybe God had better plans for me,” she said.
“It was a tough phase to recover from the injury and I never imagined that I would rise from it to bag the Shooter of the Year accolade like this.” The budding star notes that getting a chance to be in camp gave her a platform to brush shoulders with the country’s finest players and learn from the best.
This, she notes, was the most important thing for her.
Shoko, one of the key players who have kept Platinum Queens at the top of the elite league.
She recalls going through emotions as she watched her team from afar.
“Being a player it is tough watching your team struggle in some cases or winning in some, knowing that you really cannot contribute much, I went through a roller coaster of emotions during the time,” she recalls.
“At times I had to shout from the terraces, my heart was always on the court and that feeling gave me the urge to push harder when the injury healed and I had to bounce back on court.” Shoko went through a series of therapy sessions with physiotherapists and had to also do some personal training to make sure she returned to shape.
The former Mnene High School player, whose netball career dates back to her primary school days at Mponjani, Mberengwa, reckons her life revolves around netball.
Her life, she said, transformed in 2017 when she cracked into professional netball, joining Platinum Queens. “Although I did not expect it at this moment, I feel that this is hard work, paying off,” said Shoko.
“It was not an easy journey, you know as a player you introspect a lot so I felt that I picked an injury at a time that I still needed to learn a lot and the only way was to never let the pain and emotions pull me out of the court.
“I had to pick the positives from it all.”
What, however, stands out for many avid netball followers about Shoko is her character and drive on the court.
Silent, more on the reserved side and yet she turns into a monster when she steps on the court.
In 2018, she was named the best shooter in the Rainbow Amateur Netball League pre-season tournament which was held in Bulawayo where her team won gold.
But before that she was also named the 2017 Shooter of the Year at the Platinum Queens end of year awards.
She also enjoyed a decent 2019 season, managing to get a number of player of the match recognitions. Shoko is one player who quietly goes about her work week-in, week-out.
She may not earn rave reviews for her stunning rebound takes, or her effortless shooting, but she is a vital member of the Platinum’s attackers who do the dirty work to earn victories.
This attitude, mixed with her ability on the ball (shooting and rebound taking), makes her an outstanding netballer.
“I believe there is a time for everyone, my aim is to be one of the best which is the driving force behind my work ethic,” said Shoko.
“Netball is my life; I am doing my best to make sure I continue rising, this is just the beginning.”
Online Reporter