Sharpshooter is back for Lightning’s title defence
LOUGHBOROUGH Lightning have strengthened their roster with confirmation and the welcome return of the Vitality Netball Superleague’s (VNSL) leading goal scorer, Mary Cholhok.
Arriving in the UK in 2018 after impressing on the international stage for the Uganda national team, Cholhok has gone from strength to strength during her time at Lightning and will now head into her fourth season in purple.
Balancing her studies at Loughborough College with her training, Cholhok will look to add to her trophy cabinet in 2022 after winning the coveted Golden Shot Award for three years in a row.
Cholhok has now returned to the UK after a much-anticipated summer at home in Uganda where she was reunited with her son after almost two years due to covid travel restrictions.
“Lightning provides top class facilities that support my netball career and studies that help me grow as a person and I’m excited to continue with this journey,” commented Cholhok.
After a season in which all VNSL teams played at a central venue, Cholhok was keen to share her anticipation at having fans back on campus:
“I’m so excited for all the Lightning fans to be back at the home venue and I really hope we can achieve back-to-back championships for them.”
After scoring an impressive 849 goals in just 22 appearances last season, Cholhok’s dominance in the shooting circle was an attribute that Head Coach Sara Francis-Bayman was understandably keen to hold onto in 2022.
“Mary has made huge improvements in her game over the past few years and the most exciting thing is, I think we’ve only just scratched the surface,” she said,
“She was a huge part in our title-winning season and has the potential to do something very special for both Loughborough and Uganda.”
Cholhok joins eight of her title winning teammates who have already committed to Lightning’s title defence campaign in 2022.