Chronicle Editor
Flora Fadzai Sibanda, [email protected]
WHILE most teenagers are consumed by fashion and beauty trends, 15-year-old Gamuchirai “Gamu” Tafirenyika has discovered an unlikely passion — boxing. Defying traditional gender roles, she has embraced the sport wholeheartedly, facing criticism from those who question her choice.
Despite the challenges, Gamu has found her true calling within the ring. The young boxer is currently the captain of Njube Boxing Club, which houses more than 30 boys and just six girls, including her.
“I remember when I first got interested in this sport two years ago, I was not sure myself that I would be able to do it. From afar, it looks like a scary and violent sport. But I just fell in love with how the coach and the other guys seemed to be enjoying it, and that is when I decided to try it out. I had to keep the practice sessions a secret from my friends and other people close to me for some time as I was not sure they would be accepting and willing to understand my sudden love for the ring,” says Gamu.
Just as she had feared, Gamu says she faced a lot of criticism from society and her peers when they learned about her love for boxing. She says she had to endure comments like “uzathathwa mbani yena efundela ukutshaya” before her club coach had to conduct educational awareness in the community to help them understand that boxing is not a violent game but requires discipline.
“One thing that I’ve learnt from boxing is that one has to be disciplined, and you do not just pick a fight because you are able to fight. It also needs someone who is much disciplined and knows the only time they should fight is when they are in the ring and not outside the ring. I have learnt to let go of negative critics that I still get from people in my circle. The good thing is that my family is very supportive, and they have never made me feel somehow about my passion for boxing,” says Gamu.
She has won a number of local fights. She says that apart from the game being her passion, it has also helped her stay away from drugs and substance abuse as she is always occupied with something.
“I’ve also travelled to a lot of places that I would have never dreamt of. I’ve been to Mvuma, Victoria Falls, and so many other places that I doubt my family would have been able to send me to. The dream is to be a world champion in five years so that I can be able to change the situation at home,” says Gamu.
Apart from being a safe haven for the girl child, the academy is also a place where young children as young as five years old spend their days being taught life discipline and how to tackle challenges they may come across. The club manager, Sibonokuhle Sibanda, says she is happy with how she is able to nurture other girls in a sport that has always been deemed a men’s. She says that apart from ensuring that the girls are always fit, she constantly has to remind them to let go of the stereotype that will always follow them because they are in sport.
“For us women, it’s all about balance and knowing that you will always be a woman despite being a sports guru. That is why it is important for the girls and the boys to be taught how best they can always tackle the changing world that is seeing girls taking part in sport,” says Sibonokuhle.
The founding director of the boxing club, Arnold Sibanda, says that when he first founded the club in 2022, he only had two boys and is happy with how it has grown over the years to accommodate such a large number. Although he is a football person himself, Arnold says he chose to groom young children in boxing after he saw how it was being side-lined, yet there are a number of young people who can actually venture into it.
“Gamu is the captain not because she is a girl but because she has shown great capabilities of being one both inside and outside the ring. I am happy with how all the boys are also showing her respect and are working well with her.
“My hope is that the academy gets more recognition and these children are able to fully pursue their dreams and goals. Apart from just being an academy, we are also doing rounds in different schools where we are teaching our youths about the importance of abstaining from drugs and substance abuse,” says Arnold. — @flora_sibanda.
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