This Gem is on fire

Veronica Gwaze
URSULA NDLOVU has been unplayable in the Netball Super League this season, scoring a massive 867 goals and fluffing only seven chances in 14 games.

The 23- year old Harare City Queens goal attacker is hoping to continue with the fine form in national team colours as she is part of the Gems Squad that is in camp ahead of the African Championships.

The championships, held in Zambia from 13 to 18 August, will also as the 2019 World Cup qualifiers and Ndlovu is determined to shoot the Gems to England.

“It’s an exciting challenge, as a player these are the type of tournaments you dream of playing in. We live for such assignments and I hope to do my best and show the coaches that I deserve to be in the national team,” she said.

For much of her school life Ndlovu was known for her athletics and basketball prowess but the need to “rescue” Msitel High from an embarrassing defeat changed everything. “I was just standing by the sidelines painfully watching as our team was being beaten hands down.

I approached the coach and offered to play,” recalled Ndlovu.

“Initially the coach refused to give me a run but later gave in as pressure mounted.

In the end everyone was singing my name as I turned the game around for our school.

“That was the day I got convinced that I was made to netball. I believe my mother passed on the netball talent to me because she used to play for Mbalabala, Railstars, and the Zimbabwe Defense Forces.”

As preparations for African Championships continue Ndlovu revealed that the Gems are determined to bag gold and make the World Cup.

“Everyone is in high spirits and with such a mood, if we work well on the weak areas we identified during the Pent Series, we should be able to bring back the gold medal,” she said.