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Tinashe Kusema
SABLES coach Cyprian “Supa” Mandenge is a man of many talents.
Before he was appointed the senior men’s rugby coach he was a Zimbabwe Cricket board member and served as chairman of the Harare metropolitan cricket province for 11 years.
Mandenge has played and coached a little football, tennis and could have been a professional boxer.
He even holds black belts in both karate and taekwondo.
Now at 40, the senior men’s rugby coach has revealed his biggest desire.
“Well, the end game has always been to become a sports minister,” said Mandenge.
“Everything I have done and shall continue to do is in preparation to become a Member of Parliament and inevitably a sports minister.”
While this revelation will probably come as a surprise to many, it goes a long way in deconstructing the enigma that is Cyprian “Supa” Mandenge.
Born on February 16, 1975; Mandenge was raised in a family short on testosterone.
“I was born into a family of seven children, two boys and five girls. We were different in so many ways, but what bonded us together was our love for sport.
“My sisters and mother were very good runners in their days while my brother and l were big on cricket and rugby.
“Bonding time with our father meant spending time with him in the dojo doing martial arts, we picked up the sport very early,” he said.
Mandenge — with the help of Themba Mliswa — tried his hand at boxing.
“In school, I tried a little football, tennis here and there and even tried my luck in boxing through Themba Mliswa, who had offered to train me.
“Unfortunately, he left for England and with him went my dreams of becoming a professional boxer.
“I then started bodybuilding as a way to bring about discipline and fitness in my life. I would complement it with martial arts training. I also decided to get serious with rugby and played for UZ, Old Malvernians, Harare Sports and Old Hararians,” he said.
Unfortunately, a freak tackle during a routine sevens practice game saw Mandenge’s rugby career being cut short.
He turned his attention to sports management, acquiring a sports management degree with a South African university and an International Rugby Board Level 2 coaching certificate.
Mandenge then iced his resume with stints as Harare metropolitan cricket chairman and the rugby coach of Eaglesvale High School, Old Hararians and now the Zimbabwe Sables.
Through all the ups and downs of sport management, two things have remained the same – his passion for all things sport and his dream of being the sports minister.
“I remain a steadfast sportsperson first and foremost before anybody begins to try and label me,” says Mandenge who is also Eaglesvale High School’s sports administrator.
“I still have a long way to go as I also intend to coach internationally. l have to be elected MP before I can sit in the sports minster’s seat. However, I know that someday that dream will be realised.” Mliswa, a man who has known the Sables gaffer for decades, is not surprised by Mandenge’s ambitions.
“I am not really surprised that Mandenge dreams of becoming a sports minister and if I am going to be totally honest, he would make a fine leader one day.
“I have known Mandenge since he was a young lad, we both came from the same neighbourhood and it was me who actually introduced him to rugby and many other sports,” he said.
“I owned a gym by my house in Waterfalls and he would always come by and train. I would also take him wherever I went, teaching him the ropes of sports.
“He has always had a level head and a great mind for sport. Whether it was on the rugby field, cricket pitch, athletics or boxing ring, Supa showed great promise and a unique mastery of all sports.
“Sport in Zimbabwe is lacking sports people in key areas, those who have a great mind for the craft and most importantly the passion. Supa would do well should he realise his dream.”
Online Reporter