The Sunday Mail
“YOU can’t teach height.”
While this might be one of basketball’s oldest clichés it is one statement Vixens head coach Simon Lawson strongly believes in.
As the defending Harare Basketball Association League and national champions chase an unprecedented third straight unbeaten season, Lawson is convinced that in Amanda Chiminya he has a rough diamond.
Chiminya is a basketball rookie having just been introduced to the sport but her height has the Vixens coach excited.
“It’s called height, and it can’t be taught, developed, extended and Amanda has it in abundance,” said Lawson.
“She is still raw but we are slowly but surely getting there. We have big plans and hope to get her ready for national team trials in the not so distant future.
“The good thing about Amanda is she is a fast learner and is responding well to our special program.
“She has played a few games, just to get a feel of the game and gain a little confidence, and the response, from both the fans and our opponents, has been quite encouraging.
“She has already shown signs of developing into a good rebounder of the ball, both offensively and defensively.
“She gives us that extra edge in the box with her presence and is quite intimidating for the opposition,” he said.
Standing at approximately two meters and with an enormous amount of mass to balance it all Chiminya looks made for basketball.
She is rocking the local scene with fans and the opposition alike often keen for a quick chat, photo and sometimes an autograph.
It’s an experience the 24-year old Chiminya finds surreal.
“It’s been quite a hectic couple of weeks for me,” disclosed the imposing Vixens player.
“I have always had people stare at me because of my height and it bothered me a lot.
“I remember once I was approached by a lady who wanted me to join her netball team and then there was a time a guy from Kariba, where I did my attachment in hotel and catering at Kariba Bay Hotel, just couldn’t stop staring at me.
“However, with basketball it’s a different, I love the attention am getting.
I am loving every minute of it. I mean why else would a big paper like The Sunday Mail track me down for an interview?
“Basketball is something new to me but the coaches seem to have confidence in me and I really don’t want to disappoint them.
“So, the plan is to give it my all and see where basketball takes me,” she said.
Chiminya’s life changed after an encounter with one of the coaching staff at Vixens on Christmas Eve last year.
Vixens co-founder Kelvin Ben spotted her doing some last minute shopping at a local supermarket and was blown away.
“I have always thought myself to be a tall guy, something I take pride in, so when I see people taller than myself they stand out,” revealed Ben.
“It happens almost on a daily basis, but when I first saw Amanda I was in awe.
The country is littered with tall people, but what set Amanda apart from everyone else was that she had the body to match the height and I immediately sought her out and made it a point to link her up with our coach Simon,” he said.
Despite being initially put off by his advances, Chiminya decided to give it a try.
Her story continues!
