After disappointingly missing out of the 2024 International Combat Organisation's World Martial Arts Championships in Frankfurt, Germany, the Zimbabwe kobudo team faces another exciting journey ahead as they seek to restore their international dominance.
Sensei Wilfred Mashaya, the head of Zimbabwe Ninja Academy, revealed that they had a host of exciting international engagements lined up for them in Colombia, Malta, England, and Wales.
"We have been invited to a number of international competitions with the first one coming in Colombia before we travel to Malta. We are deep in training for these competitions," revealed Mashaya.
This comes after the Zimbabwean team of 18 martial artists missed out of the October 11-13 World Championships in Germany after their visas were processed late for departure in time for the global gathering.
As a result, Mashaya, a 5th Dan black belt holder in Okinawan Kobudo, missed out the chance to defend the Kobudo World Weapons title he won in England in 2023.
"We are disappointed, yes, but that is now history. The focus now is on the future and that we do not repeat the same mistakes we made in the past," said Mashaya.
He said the rest of the team was also disappointed to miss out of the world championship but has stepped up training for the assignments ahead.
Vincent Fambira who also missed the chance to defend the world title he also won in England in 2023 is looking forward to the future with optimism.
"I am touched that we did not go to the world championships but that has also helped to strengthen us. That has given us more time to train for upcoming events which we hope to win," said Fambira.
Zimbabwe was supposed to take a team of 18 artists to the world championships in Germany which also included four boys and four girls as Zimbabwe Ninja seeks to promote junior talent.
Kobudo is a martial art sport that is in the same family with karate, taekwondo, kung-fu, kickboxing, jujitsu, wushu, and judo, but differs slightly from the others because it uses weapons.