Meet Prince Kyle Ncube, a 23-year-old netball sensation from Lupane, Matabeleland North. In an exclusive interview, Prince shares his inspiring journey in the world of netball, from his humble beginnings at Zvishavane High to representing Zimbabwe at several Africa Championship Cups. As one of the trailblazers of male netball in Zimbabwe, Prince breaks stereotypes and paves the way for aspiring male players in the country.

TR: Tell us about yourself, Prince Kyle Ncube?
PN: Hi Africa! I’m Prince Ncube, aged 23, from Lupane in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe.

TR: How did your netball journey start, and why netball over other sports?
PN: My netball journey started back in 2015 at Zvishavane High. I was a handball and volleyball player back then, so the school netball coach, who was impressed by my skills during my handball sessions, asked me to help him train the netball team, and that’s how my love for netball started. It wasn’t a tough hurdle to transition from handball to netball.

TR: Netball’s often seen as a female-dominated sport. What does that mean to you, and how do you handle it?
PN: Surely, back then netball was a female-dominated sport, but with the introduction of Male Netball in recent years, it’s now becoming just like the majority (if not all) of other sports codes, which are participated in by both males and females. To me, netball is just a sport.

TR: You’ve represented Zimbabwe at several Africa Championship Cups. What does it mean to represent your country?
PN: Representing my country at the Africa Champs is such a huge honour.

TR: You won Player of the Match at the Africa Championship Cup last year. What was going through your mind during that moment?
PN: My main goal whenever I step on court is to do my best so that we win as a team, and being named player of the match at that moment feels good, and it actually shows that the hard work has paid off.

TR: You were crowned King of Africa Netball. What does this title mean, and were you expecting to win it?
PN: It’s such an honour to be crowned King of Netball at the tournament. I can’t really say I was expecting it, but after being named player of the match two times, the chances were high.

TR: What advice do you give to young Zimbabwean males interested in playing netball?
PN: My advice to young male netball players in Zimbabwe is to keep working hard till they make it. They must also stay focused and disciplined; it makes everything easy to achieve their goals.

TR: Looking ahead, what are your goals for the Zimbabwe national netball team and your personal career?
PN: I’m looking forward to continuing to represent the nation with pride, and my main goal is to continue pushing hard and help the Golden Flyers in our quest for gold.

TR: How does it feel to break stereotypes and pave the way for other male netball players in Zimbabwe?
PN: I am thrilled to break the stereotypes and pave the way for other male players across the country. The good feeling of knowing that there are some male players out there who look up to me as their role model is second to none, and it also gives me the zeal to work hard and continue being an inspiration to the male players.

TR: What’s been the highlight of your netball career so far?
PN: Earning a spot in the national squad and, of course, being The King of Africa Netball.