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Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter

TADIWA Kahonde’s netball career started accidentally 12 years ago when she was one day asked to fill in for her sister’s school team.

From there she never looked back.

The Zimbabwean netballer is shining in Australia where she recently won the Most Valuable Player in the premier state league, the 19-and-under category, in the Victorian Netball League.

Kahonde is the only Zimbabwean playing professional netball in Australia.

Gems shooter, Joice Takaidza, is based in Australia and plays for a community club.

Kahonde plays for Wilson Storage Southern Saints, in the 19-and-under category, and is one of the co-captains. She was also in the team of the year. The club describes her as a queen of turnovers in the court. The Latrobe University student has been receiving rave reviews in the Victorian league.

Kahonde, however, says it has not been an easy journey.

Her family, which is also based in the Diaspora, has been the supporting pillar.

“My journey with netball started in 2009, when I was asked to fill in for my sister’s school team.

‘‘I remember going on to the court, with an oversized top and skirt that belonged to one of my sister’s teammates, and basically running around, making sure I got the ball and did not step.

“From then on, I just fell in love with the sport.

“I was also fortunate enough to have such an amazing role model, who also played netball in Zimbabwe, Petronela Joseph Yotam.

‘‘She played for George Stark High School in Mbare in the early ’90s,” said Kahonde.

Her early playing days were in New Zealand but she then moved to Australia in 2012.

“At the beginning of 2013, I was invited to play for a team at my local club called the Red Angles.

‘‘I played for them for six years and racked up a couple of coaches’ and MVP awards.

“In 2014, I was scouted (for trials) at a representative team called Kingston district.

‘‘I was fortunate enough to make it into the Under-13 team. I played for the team for four years.

“I then moved over to another representative team, called Bayside Representative Netball Club, where I played for two years and, in my final year, won the club’s Rising Star award.

“From then, I was asked to (have trials) for the Victoria Netball League team Wilson Storage Southern Saints.

‘‘I played in their development team for a year and then was selected to play in their Under-19 in 2019.’’

However, Covid-19 then struck.

‘‘I went (for trials) for the Under-19 Victorian state team. I was fortunate enough to make it.

“It was such an amazing experience because I got to train alongside some of the best netballers, within my age group.

“I also was invited back to play for the Under-19 Wilson Storage Southern Saints. I was lucky enough to be co-vice-captain of the team and worked alongside beautiful girls in leading our team.

“We ended up finishing fourth on the ladder, which meant we had made it into the finals.

‘‘However, again due to a snap lockdown that Victoria was placed in, we were unable to play the final series,” she says.

Kahonde managed to finish the season with the highest amount of votes, for the Most Valuable Player, and was duly named the Under-19 Victorian netball league’s Most Valuable Player.

“Netball has been quite a key aspect in my life. Not only do I enjoy the sport but I enjoy the many non-sport-related skills, and values, that I have obtained from playing it.

“Throughout this journey, I have encountered many upsetting setbacks.

‘’I was told that ‘I was not good enough’ and I should just give up and focus on something else.

“On reflection, I can say that these setbacks pushed me to work harder and managed to get this recognition this year.

“The only competition I have is outshining myself.

“I also want to thank my family for all the support they have shown me throughout this journey because, without them, none of this would have been possible,” said Kahonde.