Story by ZBC Reporter
EIGHT young martial artists from Zimbabwe have departed for Wales to represent the country at the International Combat Organisation (ICO) World Championships, which run from 15 to 19 October in Swansea.
The talented team, drawn from the Zimbabwe Martial Arts Kobudo Team under the Zimbabwe Karate Union, is led by multi-award-winning martial artist and coach, Shihan Wilfred Mashaya.
The group comprises four boys and four girls aged between eight and sixteen, mainly from the Zim Ninja Academy, reflecting a strong commitment to gender balance and the inclusion of young athletes in line with the country’s Junior Sports Policy.
In the girls’ category, Zimbabwe will be represented by Thandeka Moyo, Dean Gwatah, Anotida Hove, and Anenyasha Hove, while the boys’ team includes Wilfred Mashaya Jr, Brian Mupindu Jr, Takudzwa Chizema, and Arnold Mudzengerere.
The young martial artists will compete in a range of categories, including Traditional Weapons, Creative Weapons, Freestyle Weapons, and Advanced Weapons, using tools such as Tonfa, Nunchaku, Katana (sword), Bo (staff), Kama, and Sai.
The global event brings together participants from over a dozen countries, including Spain, Ireland, Ukraine, Italy, Cyprus, the USA, Wales, England, Scotland, Brazil, South Africa, Germany, France, Nepal, and Zimbabwe.
Coach Mashaya expressed confidence in the team’s readiness, saying the competition offers the young athletes a platform to gain international exposure and raise the Zimbabwean flag high through discipline, skill, and determination.
