adminCollin Matiza Sports Editor
THE Zimbabwe Wushu Shaolin (Kung-Fu) School has been invited to participate at this year’s Vovinam Championships to be held in Algeria in May.
Vovinam is a martial art sport from Vietnam which was formerly called Viet-vo-Dao but changed the name to Vovinam. And, according to Muzondiwa Gilbert Makowah of the Zimbabwe Wushu Shaolin (Kung Fu) School, the invitation comes against the background that Algiers, the capital city of Algeria, will be hosting the African Youth Games from July 19-28, 2018.
“We have had a very cordial relationship with Vovinam when our athletes interacted with the sport when we met in 2011 at the Martial Arts Festival hosted in Kish Island, Iran.
“The Vovinam athletes and executive were impressed by the expertise shown by the Zimbabwean athletes and as a result a relationship with the style was formed.
“Initially, the African Vovinam Federation had initiated a cultural exchange programme whereby they were to send a coach to Zimbabwe for two weeks in November 2017 but the political landscape of our country was unpredictable at that moment, leaving us with no choice but to postpone the coaching clinic,” Makowah told The Herald yesterday.
He said they were now going to attend the Vovinam Championships in Algeria and will combine it with the coaching clinic until they participate at the 2018 Algiers African Youth Games in July.
“This has resulted in our Zimbabwe Shaolin Wushu School postponing our Pahuyuth Congress and Technical Course which we had slated for March 2018 until further notice.
“Pahuyuth is a sport from Iran combining MuayThai and Kickboxing and we had scheduled to hold the Technical Course and Congress in Zimbabwe in March this year but we have no choice but to postpone it to a later date.
“Instead we shall be having our Shaolin Master from China to train and prepare our athletes in the Wushu Degree of Difficulty and correction of postures in April probably in Chinhoyi.
“The preliminary dates are April 10 to 21 as our Shaolin Master will also enjoy our Independence celebrations on April 18. He will be accompanied by two other Shaolin Masters, one female and one male. Our Shaolin coach is Master Drago Zhang who will be accompanied by his team which we are yet to verify,” Makowah said.
He added that this will assist their athletes who are scheduled to travel to Algeria for the Vovinam Championships in their preparations for this major international event.
Online Reporter