The Sunday Mail
Veronica Gwaze
ONE of her pending aspirations is to have an old and discoloured 2014 newspaper cutting enlarged, framed and erected at a strategic place in her parents’ home.
The cutting simply headlined “Netball: Kwangwa is the perfect fit” was the player’s first published profile after she made the cut into the senior national team.
Felisitus Kwangwa made her debut at the African Championships in Botswana aged 19.
She was roped in to address a Goal Defender (GD) crisis that had nagged the national team for years.
In the 2014 interview, she said her dream was “to play at the Netball World Cup” and “to be signed by a foreign club”.
Like they say, some dreams do come true.
Five years later, Felisitus rose to be the Gems captain and became the first Zimbabwean player to be signed by a top European club (Surrey Storm) from the domestic scene.
Next year, she will be making a second successive appearance at the Netball World Cup competition in July.
She recently led the Gems in a fine run at the 2023 Netball World Cup qualifiers in Pretoria, South Africa, where they grabbed one of the two tickets for the global tournament.
The other ticket was snatched by Malawi.
Powerhouses South Africa and Uganda qualified based on their World Netball rankings to represent Africa at the tournament, which is scheduled to take place in Cape Town, South Africa.
“My dream has always been to play at the World Cup and to continue appearing at such a tournament. Achieving this successively is never easy,” said the modest skipper.
“I feel highly favoured because there is so much that I have acquired through netball, you know, most people look down upon sport.”
In the last Netball World Cup competition, Felisitus made a name for herself when she finished the tournament among top defenders.
Her wish now is to surpass the previous record.
“I have already started working hard towards that. I have set up a rigorous training programme, where my day has to start early with a morning jog, gym sessions and then the tactical aspect,” revealed Felisitus.
The gifted player is as reserved as they come both at home and in camp.
She only speaks when it is necessary.
“I am not an outgoing person. I prefer spending most of my time perfecting my skill or researching about the game, but, of course, to refresh I watch movies or listen to music.”
Her parents in Phelandaba West, Bulawayo, are also living large.
Their family home has become more like a monument of some sort, with some schoolchildren visiting it as part of motivation tours for upcoming netballers.
Talk of sports tourism!
Her mother Peggy Kwangwa has watched her daughter prosper.
“It still feels like a dream to imagine that sport has taken her this far as well as transforming our lives,” said Mrs Kwangwa.
From her netball gains, the gifted player has contributed in the construction of her parents’ seven-room Phelandaba home, bought them a car as a surprise gift and changed their entire household property, among other things.
Her parents and siblings have also transformed from being reserved into outspoken personalities around Bulawayo.
“We have been forced to adjust. People will always notice you, so we have taught each other as a family to be careful with how we carry ourselves out there,” said Peggy.
While Phelandaba residents may not have the privilege to watch most of her games on television or the internet, they speak so highly of her and marvel at what she has morphed into.
Felisitus draws much of her character from her humble upbringing.
Her mother recalls how Felisitus’ father, a few days after she was born, foretold that she would score big one day.
The first and the only girl in a family of three, the lanky goal defender was born at Chrome Hospital in 1995 when her father was still employed under Zimasco Mine.
The following year, they relocated to Bulawayo where she later enrolled at Mtshede Primary School.
Good times roll
Felisitus’ netball journey was to start in 2007 when her netball coach, only identified as Mrs Mabvongodze, forced her to play the game because of her height.
Although her mother would sometimes reprimand her against sport, she continued to excel in the game and academics.
“I wanted her to focus on schoolwork. Little did I know she would become a big name through sport,” recalls Peggy.
Understanding her mother’s worries, Felisitus’ coaches would sometimes visit her parents to seek permission for her to participate at some tournaments.
At 18, through netball, she got employed by the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services.
In 2012, she made her debut for the Young Gems before graduating into the seniors’ fold in 2014. Since then, good times have been rolling.
After her Young Gems debut, she bought her mother a new refrigerator.
“She does not make promises, she simply surprises us and whenever she travels she buys clothes and other gifts for all of us,” Peggy added. “My best memory is when she bid us farewell for the debut World Cup in 2019. I could not accompany her to the airport, but I can still see the beautiful and confident smile she had on the day.”
However, when she left for Surrey Storm, like any other mother, Peggy had her reservations.
Worrying about her daughter’s safety gave her sleepless nights although the skipper kept assuring her that she would be fine.
Shortly after her Surrey Storm signing, she surprised her parents with a car and new furniture.
Her father Simeone Kwangwa feels the Gem still has a future on court if she maintains an upright personality.
“She is now a ‘celebrity’, but her character has not changed at all. When she is at home, she is usually indoors. She does not have many friends, so she hangs out with her brothers.
“She enjoys watching television or listening to music. Feli has always been reserved growing up. We always support and motivate her to pursue academics and we are happy she now holds a degree,” said her father.
Veronica Gwaze
ONE of her pending aspirations is to have an old and discoloured 2014 newspaper cutting enlarged, framed and erected at a strategic place in her parents’ home.
The cutting simply headlined “Netball: Kwangwa is the perfect fit” was the player’s first published profile after she made the cut into the senior national team.
Felisitus Kwangwa made her debut at the African Championships in Botswana aged 19.
She was roped in to address a Goal Defender (GD) crisis that had nagged the national team for years.
In the 2014 interview, she said her dream was “to play at the Netball World Cup” and “to be signed by a foreign club”.
Like they say, some dreams do come true.
Five years later, Felisitus rose to be the Gems captain and became the first Zimbabwean player to be signed by a top European club (Surrey Storm) from the domestic scene.
Next year, she will be making a second successive appearance at the Netball World Cup competition in July.
She recently led the Gems in a fine run at the 2023 Netball World Cup qualifiers in Pretoria, South Africa, where they grabbed one of the two tickets for the global tournament.
The other ticket was snatched by Malawi.
Powerhouses South Africa and Uganda qualified based on their World Netball rankings to represent Africa at the tournament, which is scheduled to take place in Cape Town, South Africa.
“My dream has always been to play at the World Cup and to continue appearing at such a tournament. Achieving this successively is never easy,” said the modest skipper.
“I feel highly favoured because there is so much that I have acquired through netball, you know, most people look down upon sport.”
In the last Netball World Cup competition, Felisitus made a name for herself when she finished the tournament among top defenders.
Her wish now is to surpass the previous record.
“I have already started working hard towards that. I have set up a rigorous training programme, where my day has to start early with a morning jog, gym sessions and then the tactical aspect,” revealed Felisitus.
The gifted player is as reserved as they come both at home and in camp.
She only speaks when it is necessary.
“I am not an outgoing person. I prefer spending most of my time perfecting my skill or researching about the game, but, of course, to refresh I watch movies or listen to music.”
Her parents in Phelandaba West, Bulawayo, are also living large.
Their family home has become more like a monument of some sort, with some schoolchildren visiting it as part of motivation tours for upcoming netballers.
Talk of sports tourism!
Her mother Peggy Kwangwa has watched her daughter prosper.
“It still feels like a dream to imagine that sport has taken her this far as well as transforming our lives,” said Mrs Kwangwa.
From her netball gains, the gifted player has contributed in the construction of her parents’ seven-room Phelandaba home, bought them a car as a surprise gift and changed their entire household property, among other things.
Her parents and siblings have also transformed from being reserved into outspoken personalities around Bulawayo.
“We have been forced to adjust. People will always notice you, so we have taught each other as a family to be careful with how we carry ourselves out there,” said Peggy.
While Phelandaba residents may not have the privilege to watch most of her games on television or the internet, they speak so highly of her and marvel at what she has morphed into.
Felisitus draws much of her character from her humble upbringing.
Her mother recalls how Felisitus’ father, a few days after she was born, foretold that she would score big one day.
The first and the only girl in a family of three, the lanky goal defender was born at Chrome Hospital in 1995 when her father was still employed under Zimasco Mine.
The following year, they relocated to Bulawayo where she later enrolled at Mtshede Primary School.
Good times roll
Felisitus’ netball journey was to start in 2007 when her netball coach, only identified as Mrs Mabvongodze, forced her to play the game because of her height.
Although her mother would sometimes reprimand her against sport, she continued to excel in the game and academics.
“I wanted her to focus on schoolwork. Little did I know she would become a big name through sport,” recalls Peggy.
Understanding her mother’s worries, Felisitus’ coaches would sometimes visit her parents to seek permission for her to participate at some tournaments.
At 18, through netball, she got employed by the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services.
In 2012, she made her debut for the Young Gems before graduating into the seniors’ fold in 2014. Since then, good times have been rolling.
After her Young Gems debut, she bought her mother a new refrigerator.
“She does not make promises, she simply surprises us and whenever she travels she buys clothes and other gifts for all of us,” Peggy added. “My best memory is when she bid us farewell for the debut World Cup in 2019. I could not accompany her to the airport, but I can still see the beautiful and confident smile she had on the day.”
However, when she left for Surrey Storm, like any other mother, Peggy had her reservations.
Worrying about her daughter’s safety gave her sleepless nights although the skipper kept assuring her that she would be fine.
Shortly after her Surrey Storm signing, she surprised her parents with a car and new furniture.
Her father Simeone Kwangwa feels the Gem still has a future on court if she maintains an upright personality.
“She is now a ‘celebrity’, but her character has not changed at all. When she is at home, she is usually indoors. She does not have many friends, so she hangs out with her brothers.
“She enjoys watching television or listening to music. Feli has always been reserved growing up. We always support and motivate her to pursue academics and we are happy she now holds a degree,” said her father.
