Zimbabwe’s karatekas raised the nation’s flag high when they scooped five medals at the Hayashi-ha Gaborone Open Karate Championships on Saturday in Botswana. The event attracted fighters from South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana.

Zimbabwe sent a team of five fighters — Justin Mashiri, Winston Nyanhete, Naomi Mandengenda, Elizabeth Banda and Botswana-based Gondo Gomdo.

Mandengenda, from Dominican Convent Girls High karate club, walked away with two medals when she claimed a gold and bronze in the girls’ Under-15 kata and kumite events. Her colleague, Banda, won a gold medal in the girls’ Under-13 kumite event.

Mashiri and Nyanhete walked away with bronze medals in the men’s Under-60kg and Under-75kg categories respectively.

Zimbabwe Karate Union president, Joe Rugwete, was happy with the team’s performance at the championships. “We fielded a team of five fighters and returned home with five medals. They performed very well because the thing is that we had few people and also the invite came very late, so based on that they did well, especially the girls from Dominican Convent,” said Rugwete.

Meanwhile, the ZKU national association executive has made several appointments to ensure better and efficient management of the sport with Eugene Moody appointed as the member of the technical board.

George Swarres has also been appointed marketing executive for ZKU.  

ZKU also appointed current national team captain David Dube as the ex-officio member of the national executive.