adminUnit Fairbridge, winners of the 1993 Zone Six Club Championships, are Bulawayo’s most successful club, having won almost every piece of silverware contested between 1989 and 1994 with some of the best players Zimbabwe has seen. These are Nsikelelo Mlauzi, Itsanang Abu Basuthu, Togara Machokoto, Dumisani Vundla, Clive Sibanda, the late Herbert Mutisi, Jairos Nyirenda, Patrick Ncube and Jefias Gumbo.
Railstars have been Zimbabwe’s most powerful team in the last three years, winning back-to-back Zimbabwe Open titles. Qinisa Fuyana, Conrad Kupara, Tawanda
Makombe and Patrick Mupira have been key members of their campaigns.
Probably the most talented of the three clubs, Bulawayo Raiders swept all Matabeleland tournaments and league titles from 1996 to 1998. Fired by Edson Givi Sibanda, Fortune Ndlovu, Vulindlela Moyo, Inambawo Ndlovu, Hudson Kaluwa, Innocent Ncube, Itsanang Abu Basuthu, Herbert Mutisi, Garikayi Sibanda, Sairota Banda and Treasure Vundla, Raiders had an effective block, the most vicious and varied attack combinations and the zeal to win.
The club won the Zimbabwe Open in 1996, the Matabeleland Aids Council International Volleyball Challenge beating the Botswana national team 3-2 at Bulawayo Club of the Disabled Courts and were runners up in several tournaments around the country and the Population Services International Botswana Open played in Mogoditshane in 1997.
Today, former Raiders setter, Inambawo Ndlovu, takes us through his team’s camp.
From left standing:
Sairota Banda: he was club chairman and assistant coach. He played as an outside hitter. Was very popular because of his unique and powerful diagonal attacks and the ability to use his fingers to tip the ball over the opposition defence. He doubled up as a bodybuilder.
Mackay Ncube: He was a promising centre blocker and attacker poached from Ihlathi High School. He fitted well into the team’s high tempo long ball play but the quality in Mutisi, the Sibandas, Edson and Garikayi, limited his first team performances.
Vulindlela Moyo: He was the head coach. Played the long ball out. A no-nonsense coach and tactician. I would credit him with assembling one of the best teams in Zimbabwe volleyball – Bulawayo Raiders. His 4-2, 4-3 and 5-4 attacks gave many an opposition a nightmare and no wonder he was part of the Zimbabwe team for the 1995 All-Africa Games. He is part of the national teams coaching pool and now has a Federation of International Volleyball Level Two coaching certificate.
Brian Moyo: Club administrator. Brought a lot of administrative expertise in the running of the club. He has risen to secretary-general of Zifa Southern Region.
Hudson Kaluwa: A hard hitter whose area of specialty was position two. He attacked 10-2s well and even the faster 10-1 with aplomb. He was also used as a receiver though his defence was not anything to write home about.
Edson Givi Sibanda: One of the best players to emerge in Zimbabwe since the game was introduced here over a hundred years ago. Could attack from anywhere on the court. He was a good receiver, defender and centre attacker. He could claim the best centre hitter with ease as his attacks were more varied than any other attacker in the country and his highlights in games being his flair, slide, back court and the zero option trap attack. He was a key member of the 1994 gold winning Under-20 team rising to be one of the stars of the Zimbabwe All-Africa Games side. He was a team player and often lifted our spirits on the court.
Garikayi Stokononzi Sibanda: Centre blocker and attacker. He is a player who got us so many points from his float serves. He was an effective attacker especially on 4-1 and 10-1 attacks. Like teammates Mutisi, Edson, Kaluwa and Fortune Ndlovu he left for South Africa cutting short a promising career at a time he was maturing into a gem.
Crouching from left:
Inambawo Ndlovu: I was a utility player who learnt volleyball from an early age from watching clubs like Sparrows Thabani at Tshaka from my Makokoba neighbourhood where some players hailed from. At Raiders, I played more as a setter and was happy to have been part of the team in many battles. It was good at
Raiders in that we had some players from Matabeleland schools volleyball from 1992-94.
Kenny: A good utility player who also played as a receiver and defender and had effective attacks.
Michael Rusenza: He was an explosive outside attacker who concentrated on 4-1 and 4-2 sets.
His career too was cut short when he left for South Africa in 1997.
Thabani Dube: Was one of the club’s setters. He was a poor blocker.
Online Reporter