Jani, a unique Gem
ANYONE who had the privilege of watching her play for the first time was impressed by her excellent communication skills on the netball court.
In some instances, she would even become testy.
Pauline Jani, who was a Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Mambas Queens and former national team goal shooter, was a unique gem.
She took every game seriously and had an insatiable hunger for success.
Jani, who died on Wednesday at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals after an undisclosed illness, was buried at Zororo Memorial Park on Friday.
She was 34.
sports director Abel Chimukoko ZRP described her as a heroine, whose death had robbed the country of one of its finest netball talents.
“We have lost one of our best players, our key player. With Pauline, we knew as long as she was in the game, she would deliver,” Chimukoko said.
“Even at Mambas Queens and the
Games, she was a key player SARPCCO and one of the best shooters, even in the national team . . . she was so good.” Jani was fierce on the court. Defenders in Zimbabwe and across the region were scared of her.
Off the court, she was a jovial and outspoken character.
However, her fearless character, candid talk and brutal honesty did not sit well with some, especially in the administrative corridors, who perceived her as a“bad girl”. But there was no denying her talent. She was part of the Gems who made history on their maiden Netball World Cup appearance in Liverpool in 2019, where they finished eighth.
Jani became popular across the netball world for her passion and scoring abilities.
Whenever she scored in a high-stakes game, she would perform a comical shimmy, with her hands pointing towards the heavens while murmuring a few words to herself.
Given the fact that netball is a high-scoring game and Jani was such a prolific scorer, the celebration became a trademark for the towering shooter.
It later emerged that the motivation behind the unique celebration was in tribute to Jani’s late mother, Irene Masara, whom she said was the driving force behind the beast in her.
Jani revealed in an earlier interview with
The Sunday Mail Sport that after every goal she scored, she would utter the words: “This one is for you, mum.”
“After receiving my third term Grade One report in 1996, my mother said, ‘Pauline, academics are not your thing, take netball seriously, you will be a great player,’” Jani said then.
“I was too young to understand her but things got clearer with time and when I got a scholarship at Pamushana High School, my path to the Gems began.”
Sadly, her parents would not live long enough to watch their daughter reach her peak with the national team.
Jani’s father passed away in 2006, while her mother died the following year.
Since then, her childhood became rocky and her passion for the sport was put to the test on several occasions.
From being orphaned at a tender age, she, at some point, together with her only sibling Mike, lived in an old, disused vehicle in a car park in Masvingo.
She even tasted life as a vendor, selling mostly freezits in Masvingo town.
Those who had a personal relationship with Jani would know that talking about her childhood elicited an emotional reaction.
“In Grade Seven, I had to be on and off school due to financial woes. Fortunately, I got a secondary school scholarship and that opened doors for me,” she said.
“In Form Two, I got my first national team call-up and it felt like a dream I did not want to wake up from.”
However, although the school provided her with everything she needed, her heart was always with her younger brother Mike, who was staying with their uncle.
One day, when she was doing her O level studies, she received the message that Mike was being mistreated.
This forced her to run away from school to look after Mike.
She went back home to become a vendor and fend for her brother.
“I had to flee from school and take care of my brother, although others mistook it for mischief,” said Jani.
“Pamushana authorities followed up and took me back to school, everything then fell into place.”
In 2008, she launched her professional career at Gaths Mine before moving to Shangani Mine Netball Club.
She later moved to Railstars, which was coached by Menfree Tanyanyiwa, who had also taken her in as his foster child.
When the club disbanded, Jani moved to Hwange, before finally settling at Mambas Queens.
She later got a job as a police officer. Being at Mambas ensured some stability for her, both on and off the court.
Her record is unmatched locally. She was the Goal Shooter of the Year for three consecutive seasons (2019, 2021 and 2022) in the Rainbow Amateur Netball League.
“My brother and I have been through a lot; we never got parental love. Netball became everything to me; that is why I push hard every day.”
Sadly, the firebrand player would not push any harder as she breathed her last on Wednesday.