adminas they begin preparations for upcoming international events.
The team will be led by national champion Brighton Tangata.
Zika president, Toni Kamangira, said they will be using the event to assess their seasoned fighters and exposing upcoming fighters to competitive events.
“Preparations are underway and they are progressing well. We have fighters from Matabeleland South, Manicaland, Mashonaland East and Harare.
“We are hoping to send more than 10 people for the tournament in Pretoria because we want to compete in all categories unlike last year when we had few fighters.
“This is a development competition and when we go for such an event, the main purpose is to identify people with talent. It helps them to know what to expect when they go for a real competition. It’s an eye-opener and it’s very important.
“We just want to get our fighters into training and we are sending both seasoned and upcoming fighters for this tournament. So far we are training everyday with the guys from Harare and on the weekends we get to train with those from other provinces,” said Kamangira.
The Zika boss said the tournament is an opportunity for the fighters to learn from other fighters from outside the country.
“This event is held every year and it’s an opportunity to assess our fighters comparing them with international fighters than just competing locally.
“My expectations are quite high, we want to identify new talent and we are giving them the opportunity to showcase their skills.
“This year we need to step up our performance in regional and international tournaments. We are expecting an improved performance from our fighters.”
Online Reporter