GREAT or legend are words that are recklessly thrown around when Zimbabwean sport is being discussed.
In reality, however, there have been few sporting greats in the small southern African country and among them being swimmer Kirsty Coventry, now the minister of sport.
In fact, Coventry is widely regarded as the best Olympian ever to come out of Africa with seven Olympic medals, two of them being gold in the 200-metre breaststroke.
Other Zimbabwean sporting greats include Andy Flower, Artwell Mandaza, Nick Price, Byron Black, George Shaya and Langton ‘Schoolboy’ Tinago, the Gweru boy who brought glory to Zimbabwe with three Commonwealth titles at three different weight divisions.
As for Mandaza — those not in the know how — should be told that Mandaza in 1977, set a new world 100 metre record, only for the International Amateur Athletics Federation to claim that the record was ‘wind assisted’ and thereby not recognizable.
Some argue that had the late great ‘Schoolboy’ been of this generation, he could have ended up as a world champion not only for the WBC, but a unified world champion.
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There too is Peter Ndlovu, the former Mzilikazi High schoolboy who not only is a Zimbabwean football legend but an African football great, who is the first black African to play in the English Premiership.
There are many in Zimbabwe and across the globe, who feel that Ndlovu is among the greatest ever African footballers to have landed on earth.
England-based sports journalist Admire Muhimeke says there are many in that country who still talk about Ndlovu. “ People still talk about the three goals he scored against Liverpool. It is something they cannot forget so easily and will remain in their lives as long as both Liverpool and Coventry live," said Muhimeke.
Sadly, though, Coventry City have gone down the drain and are now in the Championship, in what we call Division One in Zimbabwe.
The story, however, is not about Nsukuzonke or football but a legend that is coming to the end of a glittering career, and that legend is Charles Manyuchi, the former World Boxing Council silver belt middleweight title holder.
On May 27, Manyuchi is bringing to an end a career that bought him fame and a ‘little’ fortune when he fights Sheriff Kasongo of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
It has been a long and winding journey, one that saw him all over the globe as he won the Africa Boxing Union, the WBC and the World Boxing Federation titles, the last one of which he still holds.
In fact, Manyuchi was in 2021 named as the World Boxing Federation’s Boxer of the Year. No wonder WBF president Howard Goldberg will be in Zimbabwe on May 27 to watch Manyuchi in action for the last time.
In Zimbabwe, Manyuchi’s name is mentioned in the same vein as that of Evan Stewart, Flo Kennedy, Sarah Jane-Murphy, Cara Black, and Tony Johnstone among the previous winners of the Zimbabwe Sportsperson of the Year Award.
He might not have been as good as Tinago, but Manyuchi gave Zimbabweans something that will be etched not only in their sporting history but in the country’s history as well.
The nation should stand up to salute a great sportsman who brought so much joy to all of us.
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