adminFungai Lupande Mashonland Central Bureau
MASHONALAND Central karate technical director Shihan Rhodesia Mhosva has expressed fears that karatekas may fail to participate in a tournament in Kigali, Rwanda, due to challenges the sporting discipline is facing, which include exorbitant fees for players.
Speaking at a Sport and Recreation Commission second quarterly meeting in Bindura last week, Mhosva of Glendale Extreme Contact Karate Club, said karate was in popular only in Glendale.
“Karate is different from soccer. Karate students pay annual affiliation fees and monthly training fees,” he said.
“They also pay to attend tournaments, even local ones, and when going out of the country, they need clearance,” said Shihan Mhosva
“We have a tournament in Kigali, Rwanda, in August and we are facing a number of challenges.
“Some of our karatekas do not have passports and the tournament is only two months away.
“We are getting help from the local authority, but we end up spending the money trying to contact other stakeholders to get more assistance. We end up sponsoring a few karatekas with our personal funds.
He said no one from Mashonaland Central could attend a recent tournament in Botswana due to the same challenges.
“People don’t understand the sport. It has many benefits including boosting the brain and health,” said Shihan Mhosva.
Online Reporter