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Ellina Mhlanga
Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE National Karate Federation president Joe Rugwete says they are ready to host the African Union Sports Council Region Five Karate Championships that begin today with the congress and weigh-in at the HICC.
The actual competition gets underway tomorrow with participants participating in kata, in the various weight categories on offer for the different age-groups at the City Sports Centre.
The tournament is running until Sunday.
The regional event is expected to feature karatekas from Botswana, Mozambique, Angola, South Africa and hosts Zimbabwe.
Rugwete said they will hold their regional congress today and the weigh-in at the HICC.
“The congress is also going to be held at the HICC tomorrow, the registrations and weigh-in of athletes is also going to take place at the HICC. And then on Friday afternoon, the actual competition on the mats starts at the City Sports Centre.
“We are going to do our kata division on Friday and then we continue with the kata and kumite on Saturday and on Sunday. So the tournament is going to finish on Sunday,” said Rugwete.
A coaching clinic to be facilitated by World Karate Federation instructor, Professor Antonio Oliva Seba, is also scheduled to take place today at the City Sports Centre.
Zimbabwe are fielding one of the biggest teams, with 111 karatekas expected to represent the country and are hoping for a good show.
South Africa are expected to field 153 athletes. “So we have Botswana with 41 entries, Mozambique have 33 entries, Namibia have 75, South Africa have 153 and Zimbabwe have got 111. So those are the entries that we have received.
“Malawi are going to participate but they will only be fielding coaches and referees, and then Angola, is also going to field two athletes.
“We also have the World Karate Federation expert coach Professor Antonio Oliva Seba. He is going to conduct a coaching clinic tomorrow at the (competition) venue, that is at the City Sports Centre and all the countries are going to be sending in their instructors to that coaching course.
“So everything is on course and we look forward to a memorable tournament,” said Rugwete. ZNKF head coach Winston Nyanhete is in charge of team Zimbabwe.
He is also set to compete in the veterans section and is confident of podium performances from the team.
“The preparations were good everyone has been working hard for the past three months. We left no stone unturned and all our athletes, both junior and senior are very much up to the challenge.
“My assessment of the team, we stand a very good chance of a lot of podium placements. We are targeting top honors, that is to get the most gold medals of the tournament.
“I will be competing alongside Gerald Muusha (who is our kata coach), Hazel Chirima (former team captain) in the veterans’ division (35 to 45 years) and one of our referees Ndabezinhle Mazibuko in the masters’ category, that is (for) people who are 46 to 55 years of age,” said Nyanhete.
In the last edition staged in Durban, South Africa, last year, Zimbabwe had a team of 13 athletes and they picked six medals — one gold and 5 bronze. “Being at home is a very big advantage for us because we have more coaches and athletes taking part. It increases our chances of getting more medals, also home support will boost our morale.”
In the senior’s section the likes of Tapiwa Nyikadzino, Fortune Nyabanga and Ruvimbo Mushambi, who is the women’s captain are some of the leading athletes as well as Tanyaradzwa Ziwira, Ruvarashe Kasumba and Ruvimbo Madeu from the juniors.
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