The 26-year-old goal-defender wrote her own piece of
history as she became the first Zimbabwean netballer to play in England’s
netball top-flight. But for the Zimbabwe senior team captain, her debut season
was not a stroll in the park.
“Adapting to a new environment was a bit challenging,
especially when things were not normal under Covid-19, as I had to spend most
of my free time indoors and only went out for training sessions.
“I did this because I was afraid of getting the virus,” she
said. Having spent much of her time
juggling between the netball court and home, the Gems skipper, who is set to
return to the country to write her exams, told The Sunday Mail Sport that she
can’t wait to have her hands on some green mealies.
“I do miss home a lot; I am craving for Zimbabwean food —
green mealies. I guess that will be the first thing that I would love to lay my
hands on when I get back to Zimbabwe.”
As she returns home for a break, Kwangwa gave a mixed
appraisal of her debut season.
“My debut season did not go according to plan and
expectations. I am just hoping that the next season the team will perform much
better and hope that I will be at the top of my game. Apart from us having a
disappointing season in which we finished second from bottom, I am glad that I
got an opportunity to play and have the experience at a top level in UK.
“I learnt a lot during the season, although it was a
frustrating one because we were always losing our games,’’ she said.
Despite having had a largely forgettable maiden season in
England, she had something to smile about when the curtain came down a
fortnight ago, as she was named player of the match when her Surrey Storms
played against Wasps.
“I was so happy when I was named player of the match in the
last game of the season. “What really made me happy was that my performance
also helped the team to secure a win; it was something which we were hungry
for, since our last two wins had come at the beginning of the season.”
She said she felt the pressure of being the first
Zimbabwean to make a breakthrough into the elite English league.
“Carrying the flag of Zimbabwe was quite stressful during
the first days, as I did not do much. I was scared of disappointing the nation,
but I am glad that at the end of the season, I managed to make everyone happy
because I used the chances that came my way and proved how good Zimbabwe is.
“But, to be honest, it is not an easy task, especially when
all eyes are on you as the first person from your country to play at the
highest level. Sunday Mail
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