Up close with Bosso's medicine man

FOR Xolani Ndlovu, seeing a patient fully recovered and getting back to the field, gives him satisfaction.

He believes it will be a job well done if an athlete gets back to the game.

That is Ndlovu for you, the bespectacled Highlanders team doctor who has the task of making sure that the Highlanders supporters are not robbed of their idols through injury. He has a passion for his job and says besides that Highlanders has always been his childhood team and whenever he runs through that Barbourfields turf he feels a sense of belonging.

He was introduced to Highlanders by living legend Madinda Ndlovu and former Bosso medic Emmett Ndlovu.

"I have been a supporter of Highlanders since childhood. My involvement at Highlanders as the team doctor began after I met Madinda Ndlovu and Emmett Ndlovu during a national team assignment with the Zimbabwe Under-23 soccer team in the SASOL soccer tournament in South Africa in January 2006. Madinda Ndlovu was assistant to Luke Masomere while Emmett was the team manager.

The two invited me to come to Highlanders after the tournament. That Under-23 national team was a very talented lot which included the likes of Obadiah Tarumbwa, Quincy Antipas, Justice Majabvi, Washington Arubi, Zephaniah Ngodzo, Simbarashe Gate, Kenneth Msimanga, Vusa Nyoni, Tafadzwa Dube, Simon Munawa, Carrington Gomba, Costa Nhamoinesu and others." said Ndlovu.

He remains proud up to this day that no player at Highlanders has been forced to retire as a result of injury ever since he joined the team.

"Despite the ups and downs of football where sometimes you win, lose or draw, I'm really enjoying my work as team doctor.

What brings joy to me or any doctor for that matter, is to see your patient recover and continue with their career of playing soccer in this case. I've had a number of cases over the years where players have had serious injuries which could potentially end their careers. I'm happy that during my stint at Highlanders no player was forced to hang up his boots because of an injury," he said.

He said cases of injury attended to include that of Joel Ngodzo who went on to be the first runner-up for Soccer Star of the Year in the last season, Gilbert Banda, Bruce Kangwa, and lately Brighton Choto who was actually on the substitutes' bench when Bosso played against Zimbabwe Saints in Hwange.

The former 100m and 400m sprint king both at Thekwane High School and the University of Zimbabwe said the medical team always did its best to ensure the injured were attended to promptly.

At the University of Zimbabwe, Ndlovu was a member of All Stars Athletics Club in Harare where he was coached by Thabani Gonye.

During that time they had the likes of Brian Dzingai, Godwin Tauya and Winnet Dube. He represented the university at national competitions such as the Zimbabwe Universities Sports Associations and Tertiary Games as well as regional competitions such as the Confederation of Universities and Colleges of Southern Africa Games (CUCSA).

His last competition was the CUCSA Games in Swaziland in 2002 where he won a bronze medal in the 400metres relay. He had to leave competitive sport in order to concentrate more on his studies as he was approaching his final year at the University.

Ndlovu is a physician based at Mpilo Central Hospital with a Masters in Medical Sciences (Specialising in Nuclear Medicine) from Stellenbosch University South Africa and is a holder of a Bachelor of Medicine and f Surgery (MBChB) from the University of Zimbabwe.

The 31-year-old Ndlovu's expertise has even attracted national attention.

"I travelled to Maputo, Mozambique, with Team Zimbabwe as the chief f medical officer at the recently concluded 10th All-Africa Games.