Zim Ninja in Bangladesh

Takudzwa Chitsiga Sports Reporter

ZIMBABWE’S Kobudo ace Wilfred “Zim Ninja” Mashaya is aiming for gold at the International BG Karate Championship 2023 currently underway in Bangladesh.

The two-day tournament began yesterday at the Sports Village in Dhaka.

It was organised by Shihan Khaled Monsur Chowdhury Bangladesh Goju Ryu karate Federation supported by Bangladesh Bashap Association.

Mashaya will be representing Zimbabwe in Kobudo (weapon categories) under the banner of Zimbabwe Karate Union (ZKU).

Apart from Kobudo, the tournament will also have karate categories that range from senior, junior and cadet in both Kumite and Kata.

Mashaya specialises in the Tonfa, Nunchaku, Katana Swords, Sai, Bo and Kama among others.

He introduced the Kobudo discipline in Zimbabwe in 2016 after conquering Russia in an International Kobudo Tournament held in Moscow and from there he never looked back.

The former Zimbabwe Sportsperson of the Year has been growing from strength to strength and making waves around the world.

Previously Mashaya coached the Zimbabwe Kobudo team that has done well in weapon/weaponry competitions (Kobudo) thereby raising the country’s flag high in sports in 2023 tournaments.

He has done well under his Zim Ninja Academy which he formed in 2018 for the development of Martial Arts in the country.

These tournaments include the Regional Martial Arts tournament held in August in South Africa where a team of six Zimbabweans bagged more than 20 medals.

In October, Mashaya and his student Vincent Fambira went on to win 11 Medals in the ICO Martial Arts World Championships held in Hull, England.

They should have sent a team of three participants but, due to lack of sponsorship, Mashaya ended up going alone.

The Zim Ninja Academy hopes the corporate world and potential sponsors will chip in to support them as they have tried their best to show that they have what it takes to represent the country on the world stage with flying colours, thereby putting the country on the map.

The Zimbabwean Ninja says he is on a mission to continue raising the country’s flag high around the world and make the nation proud through sport.