After 18 trophy laden years at Kutlwano, Tracy Chaba is moving on.
It what is truly the end of an era for local volleyball, the 32-year-old legend will no longer don the black and white of Big House, embarking on an unexpected new chapter with Spiking Stars.
Entering the twilight years of a glittering career, the Tutume titan is still regarded by many as the face of BW volleyball, making her switch to Spiking Stars all the more unlikely.
As well as being one of Kutlwano’s star players, Chaba’s influence extended way beyond the court; at the club’s AGM back in June, she was elected Secretary General – a post she will now vacate.
With rumours of a fallout behind the scenes, keen to clear the air, in an exclusive interview with Voice Sport, the sporting icon insisted this was far from the truth.
Chaba assured her fans she was leaving because she felt it was time to take up a new challenge in her volleyball journey and nothing else.
“It is true that I have left Kutlwano but it will always remain closer to my heart because that’s where I was groomed, developed and nurtured into the player that I am, so it is home to me. It’s not like there are any problems or conflicts, I just wanted a change in scenery and something different from what I have experienced at Kutlwano. That includes getting to see how other teams do things and of course how it feels to play against a big team like Kutlwano while on the other side – that’s one of the things I’m looking forward to experience,” she said.
Excited for what the future holds, Chaba continued, “I joined Spiking Stars because I saw potential in the team as most of its players are youngsters. While leaving Kutlwano will give other young players there a chance to play, at Stars it will also provide an opportunity for me to motivate my new teammates because I will love to see them grow.”
An outside hitter famed for her power, Chaba signed with Kutlwano as a talented 14-year-old back in 2006, the same year she made her debut for the U/17 national team.
Within three years, she was called up to Botswana’s senior squad, her consistent performances putting her on the radar of several foreign sides.
Chaba was snapped up by Algerian powerhouse, MBB, for the 2013/14 season, winning silver medals in the Algerian Cup and National League.
After a brief return to Kutlwano, she was soon on her travels again, this time departing for United Arab Emirates (UAE) to join Al-Wada on an eight-month contract in October 2015.
The local pin-up enjoyed great success with the Abu Dhabi-based team, clinching bronze medals in the UAE and Ramadan Cups.
From there, it was back to North Africa and a short stint with Egypt’s Zamalek, where she won bronze in the Egyptian Cup.
Locally, Chaba has won it all with Kutlwano.
Her heaving trophy cabinet includes; four national league title, four Zone VI Club championships and three Botswana Cup gold medals.
“It was never an easy decision to leave Kutlwano and my coach Isaac Samuel was not happy wondering what is wrong and where they can improve. But I assured him that everything is fine, I just want to try new things out there because I’m looking at my retirement which is near. In fact, everyone, including management, players they are not happy but the team has senior players who are active and very capable of leading it to greater heights,” maintained the 2014 BNSC Young Sportswoman of the Year.
Promising the fans this was not the end of her story with Kutlwano, Big House’s Number Two added, “I want to appreciate everyone who supported me at Kutlwano; it will always be home – and it’s not like I’m lost for good, there will be a time where I will return to the team when I’m no longer active.”
Chaba, who will wear jersey no 13 for Stars, joins a side sitting 7th in the league at the halfway point of the season (Kutlwano are currently 4th).
Her journey with Stars starts this weekend with a daunting fixture against table-topping BDF VI.
The soldiers have won all ten of their games so far, dropping just four sets in the process.
Her status as a sporting great already cemented, Chaba’s next chapter should make for fascinating reading as the legend reaches for the stars.
