Minority sports continue to excel

BY GRACE CHIRUMANZU

The country’s minority sports such as karate, motorsport, tennis, swimming, BMX, triathlon and athletics, has for long lived under the discrimination of spectators as most Zimbabweans shy away from their fields.
But the lack of a full-house support as seen at football matches around the world has never dragged down the different sportsmen and sportswomen from doing what they know best and they will continue to be inspired this year after dominating the Annual National Sports Awards, last month.
Swimming sensation Kirsty Coventry, kyokushinkaikan karate icon Samson Muripo, Motorsport racer, Jamie White, tennis ace Cara Black, long distance runner Stephen Muzhingi and Sharon Tawengwa will be continue to aim high after proving to be experts in their fields.
Promising motorsport racer, Axcil Jefferies, swimming champion James Lawson and young tennis idol, Takanyi Garan’anga must have walked to the podium to receive an award for great sporting ability as a Junior Sportsman of the Year with great pride.
Andrea Brown {triathlon), Tyla-Shae Davidson (BMX) and swimmer Samatha Welch lined up for the Junior Sportswoman of the year.
These youngsters together with their seniors have not only made names for themselves for receiving a medal or more, at the continental and international arena, but they have brought honor not only to their country but also to their different sports.
In such a country as Japan where the European country is well known for their martial art sport, karate, Zimbabwe will be remembered for producing the first African world champion in the form of a zealous fighter, sensei Muripo.
The third dan black belt karate teacher impressively knocked down experienced international karatekas to win the big award, last June.
Coventry has over the years registered the country on the world map to maintain her status as an epitome of success in the waters of sporting circles.
At a young age of 15, Jefferies who dreams of becoming “the youngest Formula One champion” has made a mark in motorsport racing circuits not only by winning the Malaysia GP race but proving a force to reckon with in Singapore and Japan.
Out of his expectations, long distance runner, Muzhingi, was not awarded with a whooping $US100 000 by the government, like was the case with Kirsty Coventry, in 2008, but the 2009 ANSA under the category, sportsman of the year, honored his achievement as the winner of the comrades Marathon in South Africa.
The world rankings of the women’s tennis doubles have seen Zimbabwe’s Black hogging the limelight ahead of renowned tennis heavyweights, the William sisters (Venus and Serena).

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Spare a thought for Togo Rushwaya

BY SPORTS REPORTER

As Togo was still mourning their three team members who were murdered in a gunfire attack in Angola a week before the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations, Zimbabwe Chief Executive Officer, Henrietta Rushwaya, had a finger crossed hoping her country receives the gesture to replace Angola as the host of the continental show.
It was the night before the AFCON opening ceremony in Angola with Togo still considering pulling out of the tournament that Rushwaya was quoted in the local press expressing her wishes to host the tournament.
““We are able to organise the African Cup of Nations should we be requested at short notice to host it. Remember we are just coming out of the successful Cosafa Senior Challenge in which we hosted 13 countries,’’ she told The Sunday Mail.
“The main part of the work that was needed at the National Sports Stadium has already been completed and what remain are just the finer details of the dug-out but that is overnight work. So we can manage to step in should we be asked to.”
As if that was not enough a display of desperation, the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality, Walter Mzembi, went on to comment that the Zimbabwe national team, will be ready to replace Togo in the soccer showpiece boasting of winning the Cosafa Senior Challenge, last year.
“We commiserate with the emissaries of Togo and Angola on the loss of life and injury to some that occurred and we feel our team, as winners of the Cosafa Senior Challenge, is in good shape to stun their opponents and even win the cup,” he said.
Despite the Warriors winning the regional showcase convincingly after beating Zambia 3-1 in the final, Harare based football enthusiasts Bezel Chitaitai expressed disbelief in the minister and Zifa boss’ comments.
“The tournament was never considered as a qualifier to the continental showdown or any tournament for that matter. It was the same team that was beaten at the Cecafa tournament and for someone of such a noble position to talk of them replacing a team at AFCON is so disturbing,” he said.
“And someone at Zifa house is already playing her cards that Angola be cancelled as the host. Why would CAF be so stupid to bring such a high profile tournament to a country with only two stadiums? Rufaro and Barbourfields may not even make the grade to host AFCON, zviroto zviroto vakomana (dreams should remain dreams gentlemen) Rushwaya must spare a thought for Togo.”

Muripo's road to stardom

BY GRACE CHIRUMANZU

In one of Zimbabwe’s martial art sports, kyokushin karate, 2010 will present the reigning sports person of the year award winner with a challenge of maintaining a world championship title at a tournament to be held in Japan, in April.
The first African world middleweight champion, sensei (teacher) Samson Muripo, has begun his preparations for the high profile international full-contact karate knockdown with fear of defeat.
“It’s not an easy task at all to go and compete with the Japanese in their backyard and come back a happy sportsperson,” said Muripo.
“I have been there, the 30 Men kumite (fight) during my grading to third dan was the biggest challenge of my life I will never forget. They (karatekas) almost separated my body and its spirit and to think that in the coming international tournament I will pass through Japanese and other top fighters from other countries remind me of the big task at hand.”
Muripo, who revealed his dream of becoming “the Oishi of Zimbabwe” in an interview with The Zimbabwean, last May, spent the rest of 2009 cementing a concrete foundation for his vision.
Shihan (Master) Daigo Oishi is a well respected karate guru who owns 105 dojos (clubs) with more than 105 instructors, in the sport’s founding country, Japan.
The Japanese Shihan is one of the Kyokushin karate icons who have not only inspired Muripo but many young fighters in his country and beyond.
Despite being two levels away from reaching the martial art sport master’s fifth dan black belt, Muripo has already carved his name in Zimbabwe’s annals of sporting history.
With his commendable achievements in 2009, Muripo has brought to the limelight a sport once considered a minority activity that had less recognition in the media and the people of Zimbabwe.
His name will be engraved on the sportsperson of the year floating cup alongside such great names as swimming sensation, Kirsty Coventry, tennis ace Cara Black, cricket icon Andrew Flower and soccer star Benjani Mwaruwari.
“2009 made the impossible possible. I never had such a dream of becoming a world champion from my tender ages back in Chimanimani; storming the world? No, not me. But here I am, Zimbabwe’s Sportsman and Sportsperson of the year,” he said.
“It is all thanks to Hanshi Oishi in coalition with Shihan Bas van Stenis, Shihan Roel Wildeboer, my local sponsors Arosume Property Development, Homegate Furnishers and Fashion, AlcatraZ Fashions, Mazowe Garden Plaza T/A Nakas Cuisine and Stone Fields Mining.”
Though seemingly quiet, shy and vulnerable at first sight, the 31-year-old world champion inspires many when he steps on the tatami (mat where karatekas fight) and he confirms it; one certainly needs not to be bouncer to win a fight in full-contact karate.
It all started in 1993 at Chimanimani’s Ndima Secondary School when then a Form One student, Muripo and his friends were banned from the soccer club for damaging the school’s footballs to join a newly formed karate club.
He was graded to brown belt in 2000 before his first dan black belt in 2004, with second dan the following year. His third dan black belt was graded in 2007, in Japan after a blazing 30-men fight.
Despite grading to his fourth dan black belt level, sensei Muripo aspires to take Zimbababwe’s future in karate to dizzy heights.
“I hope 2010 is a year of great wonders, the expansion of my territory so that I can reach every inspired young ones in every province of Zimbabwe and triumph across the globe with opportunities available,” said Muripo.
“But this is not an easy job, I hope Kyokushin Union Zimbabwe with the support of the corporate world and the government at large, will be able to establish Karate Academy, registered with the relevant ministry so that many Zimbabwean youths may come and learn the awesome martial art sport. I dream of an academy of Japanese standards.”

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