The Sunday Mail
Quiet Shangai
NIGEL “SPARTAN” MAPHOSA (pictured) reminds me of Tim Tebow; the former Florida quarter back, who following an upset loss at the hands of Ole Miss, made a pledge to the Gator fan base.
“To the fans and everybody in the Gator Nation, I am sorry. I am extremely sorry.
“We were hoping for an undefeated season. That was my goal, something Florida has never done here.
“I promise you one thing; a lot of good will come out of this. You will never see any player in the entire country play as hard as I will play the rest of the season.
“You will never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody the rest of the season. You will never see a team play harder than we will the rest of the season. God Bless.” I only bring up the quote because, Maphosa himself said a similar, if not identical, thing to me a few years back.
“Mudhara, the time has come for Spartan to compete for the top prize at regional and international levels. People should treat me as a serious competitor”, said Maphosa after failing to win the most prestigious title in Zimbabwe bodybuilding in 2016.
“I will be back!” Maphosa comes from the province that has a tendency of producing great bodybuilders. He is a Midlands hulk.
In 2012, he competed in the Novice tourney and came third.
He won Harare Open, junior men bodybuilding championships later that same year. In 2013, he dominated the juniors at Ironman relegating Reginald Pasara to second place. During that same year, he won Musclemania junior title before failing to conquer at the nationals. He did a couple of shows in 2014 and 2015 and it seemed as if Spartan was taking the usual route many an athlete… that of failing to successfully proceed to the seniors.
Most junior athletes struggle to graduate to the senior divisions save for a few who include Munashe Matandirotya, Givemore Marume, Innocent Choga, Simbarashe Fero, Paul Goredema, Collin Mushunje and Tarirai Chirume.
Maphosa went to South Africa and joined the legendary Bible Mhizha, who transformed him into a competitive athlete.
And came back in 2016 and defeated the might Dlodlo in the light heavyweight division before losing the overall title to fellow Gweru homeboy, Paul Goredema.
In 2017, he came back again to participate at the Nationals and won his second light heavyweight title defeating the pre-competition favourite, Blessing Nyapimbi in the process.
But again, he lost the overall title to Ndumiso Dlodlo.
In 2018, he sat out the entire year.
Serge Nubret of Zimbabwe, who is now under the tutelage of IFBB Professional, Muzi Maluleka believes he has what it takes to finally win the overall title. And many others concur with the man who surprised Douglas Matonzi and Noah Dzvokora at the 2012 Harare Open.
So, the question is can he finally win the big one, when he returns to the national stage later this month?
Only time will tell, but for now his mere presence adds that little oomph to an already explosive and extremely competitive field.
