The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
HER mother passed away when she was only a year old.
She never enjoyed a father’s love as she was raised by a grandmother and her boxing career almost suffered a still birth after she was subjected to sexual harassment.
This sounds too much for a 19-year-old but new female boxing sensation Kudakwashe “Small Dynamite” Nyagura is taking it all within her stride.
Nyagurais fresh from a futile attempt at the Women International Boxing Association Intercontinental super flyweight title but she still sees boxing as “the only avenue to a better life.”
The Zimbabwean boxer, with four professional bouts under her belt now, lost on points to Zambian Alice Mbewe in Lusaka on April 6.
“I have endured a lot in my short life, I lost my mother when I was only a year old, back in 2000, and my father remarried so my granny Jane Nyagura had to take care of me.
“As the only child, I have to make it happen for myself and I see boxing as the only avenue to a better life,” revealed Nyagura, during an interview at Mau Mau stable in Greendale.
Nyagura has been under veteran promoter Stalin Mau Mau since March 2018, joining the stable after enduring a tough period in her career.
A period she alleges she suffered sexual harassment from renowned boxing trainers (names withheld), to an extent that she almost quit the sport.
“Some pretended they wanted to help me but then you would see by their actions that they had bad intentions.
“At some point I joined a stable whose trainer approached me wanting sexual favours. What’s surprising is that these are very senior people in boxing, some old enough to be my father.
“I almost quit the sport until I joined Mau Mau camp, and Baba Mau Mau is a real father.
|”He takes care of everything, he even assists my grandmother,” an almost tearful Nyagura said.
The diminutive Nyagura fell in love with boxing when she was doing Form One at Mbare High, after the Zimbabwe National Army sent its trainers to introduce the sport at the school.
“From there, around 2012, I became serious with boxing. I wasn’t bright in school so immediately I saw this sport as an opportunity.
“I believe boxing can be a gateway from misery and that is why I am putting in a lot of effort. One thing that sometimes disturbs me though is the fact that my mother is not here to witness my rise.
“Whenever people pass good comments about my boxing, like what happened in Zambia when the legendary Cathrene Phiri told me I am good, the first thing I think about is my late mother,” an emotional Nyagura said.
Veteran boxing promoter Mau Mau doesn’t doubt Nyagura’s talent and has vowed to turn the teenager into a world champion.
“We are putting on another fight for her (Nyagura), this time it’s a non-title fight at Magamba Hall in Warren Park on April 27.
“Yes, some might say we lost in Zambia but for us I think we won more than the title. At the end of the day, Nyagura went away with a loud bang in the boxing world,” said Mau Mau.
“We don’t doubt her ability…that fight in Zambia was tough, we take heart in the fact that here is young lady already challenging for intercontinental titles.
“We have very big plans for her, with the right mentality she can go far. She can conquer the world,” he said.
