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Brandon Moyo, Sports Reporter
THEY came, they saw, they conquered and wrote their names in stone in the country’s sporting folklore.
Globally, many sportspeople have created legacies in their respective fields of play, defied the odds and went on top of the world.
Zimbabwe is no stranger to such athletes who have gone on to the top of the world with their unrivalled talents. This piece is the start of a series that will look at Zimbabwe’s sons and daughters who left a permanent mark in the country’s sports folklore.
Peter Ndlovu
Nicknamed “Nsukuzonke”, the former Highlanders striker is regarded as the country’s greatest footballer. On August 19, 1992 Ndlovu made history when he became the first African footballer to play in the new English Premier League after he was signed by Coventry City, paving way for other generations of Zimbabweans like Benjani Mwaruwari and Marvelous Nakamba.
On March 14, 1995 “Nsukuzonke” earned Coventry City a 2-3 win over Liverpool FC. He fired his first ever hat-trick and became the first visiting player to manage a treble at the home of Liverpool. Ndlovu may have long retired from playing the game but is still present, as manager of South African powerhouse, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Kirsty Coventry
Justice would have not been served if one talks about Zimbabwe’s greatest sportspeople and not mention the name Kirsty Coventry, the most decorated Olympian from the African continent. Coventry has eight Olympic medals, two gold from the 2004 games in Athens and 2008 in Beijing.
In the 2000 games, Coventry became the first Zimbabwean swimmer to reach the semi-finals in the Olympics and was later named the country’s Sportswoman of the Year.
Andy Flower
November 18, 2000 marked the beginning of a remarkable Test form which ended a year later on November 19, 2001.
He began his remarkable year in Test form with a clinical 183 runs not out against the mighty India in Delhi which saw him shoot to the top of the ICC Test batting rankings. Considered the best ever cricketer to emerge from Zimbabwe, in the remarkable year, he scored 1 466 runs comprising 5 tons and seven 50s. Andy will also be remembered for leading Zimbabwe to their first Test victory in 1994 against Pakistan.
Richard Tsimba
The Sables recently fell short of making next year’s World Cup with their new crop of heroes.
But who came before them? Many rugby greats have come and gone but today we will focus on the pioneer of black players in the sport.
Just seven years after the country’s independence in 1987, the late Richard “The Black Diamond” Tsimba became the first-ever black person to represent Zimbabwe in rugby. He had five caps for the national team, scoring three tries and 12 points in aggregate and all his caps came at World Cups.
Patricia McKillop
In the field of hockey, the name Patricia McKillop is one that stands out.
She was part of the Zimbabwean team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Russia, a team that was assembled a week before the start of the global tournament. The gold medal was Zimbabwe’s only one at the games. McKillop was the joint top scorer of the tournament with six goals, including three penalty corners, tied with Russia’s (then Soviet Union) Natella Krasnikova.
Her legacy in Zimbabwean sport continued to her children with all her three sons having represented Zimbabwe at international level. The eldest, Michael McKillop, has captained the Zimbabwe men’s hockey team and also appeared in nine first-class cricket matches for Matabeleland (now Tuskers). The other son is Sean Williams who is one of Zimbabwe Cricket’s modern-day greats and stand-in Test captain of the Chevrons. The last one, Matthew Williams has captained Zimbabwe’s national hockey team and also played first-class cricket.
Samukeliso Moyo
Athletics lovers will remember the name Samukeliso Moyo, who represented Zimbabwe at the 2000 Olympics Games in Sydney, Australia. Born in Gwanda, Moyo also took part at the 1999 World Championships in Seville, Spain.
Among her list of achievements on the track, Moyo won the Johannesburg City Marathon, Cape Town City Marathon, South Africa Marathon where she also defended her title. She also claimed a bronze medal in the women’s 5 000 metres at the 1998 Commonwealth Games and won back-to-back titles at the São Silvestre de Luanda 15K race in Angola from 1997 to 1998. — @brandon_malvin
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