Wilfred Mashaya and Vincent Fambira on the podium at the ICO World Martial Arts Championships
By George Swarei
Zimbabwe Martial Arts Team of Kobudo scooped 8 Gold Medals in the ICO World Martial Arts Championships held at The University of Hull in England.
Wilfred Mashaya and Vincent Fambira won 11 medals comprising of 8 Gold Medals, 2 Silver Medals and 1 Bronze Medal at the Tournament which ran from 20 October to the 22 October 2023.
The Tournament organised and hosted by Mr Andrew Hennessy of International Combat Organisation (ICO) and the ICO Organising Team saw Martial artists competing in various Martial Arts Styles including Point Fighting, Full Contact, Traditional Forms, K1 Rules, Kick Light, K1 Light, Box Light, Boxing, Weapon Categories & Muay Thai.
The Zimbabwe Team of Mashaya and Fambira participated in the Weaponry Categories also known in Japanese as Kobudo Martial Arts. Kobudo is a weaponry Martial Arts style that specialises on the Okinawan/Japanese ancient Weapons such as the Tonfa, Sai, Bo, Kama, Katana, Nunchaku among others.
Vincent Fambira and Wilfred Mashaya displaying some of their accolades
Wilfred Mashaya won 4 Medals comprising of 3 Gold Medals & 1 Silver Medal. He was crowned World Champion in Black Belt Traditional Weapons, World Champion in Black Belt Free style Weapons & World Champion in Black Belt Extreme Weapons to earn him 3 Individual Gold Medals.
Vincent Fambira won 4 Medals comprising of 3 Gold Medals and 1 Silver Medal. He was crowned World Champion in 17 plus Years Traditional Weapons, World Champion in 17 plus Years Free style Weapons & World Champion in 17 plus Years Creative Weapons to earn him 3 Individual Gold Medals.
The team were crowned Team World Champions in two categories namely Team World Champions in Traditional Weapons and Team World Champions in Creative Weapons.
Mashaya who had the dual role of being the Team’s Coach and an athlete expressed his joy at how Fambira has come of age. Fambira was groomed by Zim Ninja Academy and is affiliated to Zimbabwe Karate Union (ZKU)
Mashaya speaking to Newsreel Zimbabwe from England said, “It is a great honour representing the country in a World Tournament, we give all the glory to God Almighty”.
He paid tribute the individuals who chipped in to help by contributing funds to make the trip possible. He also thanked the Zim Ninja Academy family members who played a great party in contributing for the journey. “God is good all the time. We are here because of his endless grace and love – He is an Awesome God,” said Mashaya.
The team is expected back in Zimbabwe on Tuesday 24 October 2023 The Zimbabwe Kobudo Team has made history by becoming the First African Kobudo Team to win the World Martial Arts Championships in Weapons and to be crowned Team World Champions.
For a record this was the first physical World Tournament by the Zimbabwe Kobudo Team comprising of more than 1 person. From 2016 the Multi Award Winning Martial Artist Wilfred Mashaya used to go alone and latter on pioneered the Sport in Zimbabwe and started grooming Zimbabweans in the Sport.
He has impressively developed the sport which was evidenced by the number of Tournaments they entered so far including the Virtual Competitions held in the Covid era and now the Physical ones held this year that include the regional Tournament & the just ended World Martial Arts Championships.
In Virtual Competitions held during the Covid pandemic period of 2020 to 2022 they won more than 200 medals from 15 participants having entered more than 10 Virtual Competitions. Then in Physical regional Tournament held in August in South Africa, the team of 6 Athletes coached by Mashaya scooped 22 Medals. Then on the just ended World Championships attended by two Athletes Mashaya & Fambira they have scooped 11 Medals.
