adminPaul Munyuki Sports Reporter
AFTER 12 years of service, Zimbabwe’s most successful rugby captain Constantine “Costa” Dinha has quit the game.
His focus is now on karate where he is training in the shorin ryu style at Old Hararians.The versatile forward, who could play at lock or eight-man, decided to call it quits following the controversy that hit the Sables camp last year when a number of players were sidelined from the tour of Madagascar.
At least 12 players were suspended from the 2013 Africa Cup camp after they fell out with then Sables manager Losson Mtongwiza.
“It’s been a good 12 years of playing rugby, there were lot of ups and downs but l do not have any regrets on anything I did during my playing days,” said Dinha.
“Of course, I could have part ways with the Sables in a better way but all the same l just felt that this was the right time to stop playing the game and let new blood take over .
“I have since moved to karate because I need something that is away from basketball or rugby for a new lease of life but I, however, remain the club captain at Old Hararians.
“For me playing rugby was no longer bringing in any new challenge or should l say that there was no anxiety when I wore the rugby kit to get on the field and that also contributed to my moving to karate.
“But I am happy I had a successful stint with the Sables winning the Africa Cup, the Victoria Cup and moving the Sables to their highest ranking since the World Rankings were introduced,” said Dinha.
Dinha captained the Sables to their best ever winning streak between June 2011 and July 2012 where the side won seven games beating Uganda three times, Tunisia once, Kenya twice and Madagascar once.
“But I guess this was all because of my former high school rugby coach Ian Robertson and Godwin (Jaws) Murambiwa and it was from the team that I learnt to get my basics right which was the foundation of my career.
“Playing alongside the likes of Chivandire and Dawson, who had played at the World Cup, was another motivational factor for me because we can only learn more from such players,” said Dinha.
He indicated that he still had interest in basketball.
Dinha spent seven years playing in the German rugby sides, first for SC Neuenheim, before crossing floors to bitter rivals RG Heidelberg.
Online Reporter