Quite a number of netballers delight in the luxury of being multi-talented and the names that come to mind are England-based goal shooter Joyce Mvula, Sheila Dimba, Towera Vinkhumbo-Nyirenda, Takondwa Lwazi and Sherat Kaiche. Mvula, Lwazi and Kaiche also play basketball at top level so much that they are likely to be part of the women’s national basketball team which is in the offing.
Then there is Dimba who doubles as national netball team and women’s football team player and such is her luxury that last year she found herself in a tight spot to choose between joining the Queens for the Fast5 World Netball Series in Australia or the football team for the Cosafa Cup in Zambia.
Now, two weeks ago I realised that we have two other multi-talented netballers in Sindi Simtowe-Msowoya and Joana Kachilika who proved that they can make good boxers after exchanging blows in the heat of the moment during a netball match between Tigresses and Thunder Queens.
I was not there at Blantyre Youth Centre when it all happened, but those who were there testified that Sindi—like the late Muhammad Ali at the peak of his boxing career—floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee while Joana was an immovable force in the famous rope-a-dope style in the bout that lasted seconds.
And if recently-crowned Africa Boxing Union (ABU) super lightweight female champion Anisha Bashir thought she has no match on the domestic scene, then she has to think twice, I am already arranging a bout against either of the two.
On a serious note though, both Sindi and Joana need to realise that being senior national team players they are supposed to be role models and need to behave as such. Osamakhala ngati zikheba, ndinu ma ‘bae’ inu. Uloliwe, uloliwe wayidudula neng’esiza hah! (Oh yes, the train is pushing). Glory be to God.
