Nenhunzi finally gets recognition
CHIDO Nenhunzi has played netball for more than half of her age.
At 36, the Tenax Goal Shooter has spent exactly 21 years playing top-flight netball.
She has seen action with different clubs including Forestry Stars, Sakubva Queens, Nyanyadzi and 3 Brigade before penning a permanent deal with Tenax, a club that facilitated her employment by the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services in 2011.
But for all the toil, Nenhunzi had never scored significant individual success until she was named the joint Rainbow Amateur Netball League (RANL) Player of the Year for the 2023 season at the league’s awards ceremony held in Harare over the weekend.
She shared the prize with Sweet Valley’s Panashe Taruwedzera.
The accolade is determined by the number of times one would have won the most outstanding player of the match during the course of the season.
Nenhunzi ticked those boxes and for the first time in her 21-year-old career, the mother of two, got to experience how the podium feels like.
“I am very happy to have won this award. It is something that I have failed to do for the past 21 years that I have been playing netball at the highest level,” said Nenhunzi.
“It’s really incredible on my part. I have worked so hard for the past 21 years but I have always missed out on individual awards.
“I never despaired because I knew God’s time would arrive. I am very happy to be standing here and talking about this big achievement.
“I changed my training regime last season and I was putting more individual sessions before and after team training. I believe that helped me a lot in terms of personal improvement.
“To be named the star of the season is a dream come true. I will continue working very hard going forward because I know that the sky’s the limit.
“At 36, I believe I can still work hard and play for the national team.
“I am looking forward to achieving even greater things in the game I dearly love”.
Nenhunzi said her secret to staying very long in the game remains discipline in terms of conduct as well as how she treats her own body.
She implored young and upcoming netball players to shun drugs and other societal ills if they are to make it big in the game.
“Upcoming players should give a listening ear to the coaches and be humble. Others spoil their careers through drug and substance use. I started playing netball when I was a Form 3 student in Mutare and most of my mates fell by the wayside due to drug use and other social ills,” said Nenhunzi.
“I have never used drugs, all my career. One can hardly survive the rigours of netball while using drugs. Discipline and eating habits are the ultimate secrets to staying longer in netball.
“One should always watch out for their behaviour and learn every day. Netball is a game that can take care of you but first, one has to take care of themselves and the rest will fall into place”.