From Chivhu to the Octagon

14 Mar, 2021 - 00:03 0 Views
From Chivhu to the Octagon Walter Chiteto

The Sunday Mail

Deputy Sports Editor

WALTER Chiteto is not one to mince his words.

Neither is the kickboxing upstart a stranger to adversity, given the fact that he is only six years into the sport and has already started making waves on the international scene.

The 24-year-old Chivhu athlete is currently undefeated on the local scene and holds a record of 17-3 on the international scene.

However, kickboxing is just a means to an end, his dream is to enter the world of Mixed Martial Arts and one day take on either one of his idols in Israel Adesanya or Connor McGregor.

“Israel Adesanya and Connor McGregor are my idols.

“For all their fighting skills, these two are master tacticians in my book.

“Adesanya always has a strategy, and a game plan, when he enters into a fight.

“He also has an abundance of confidence, and these are the attributes I value most.

“Connor McGregor is a shrewd businessperson, he has managed to monetise his talents, and all from backing himself.

“These are the attributes I aspire towards, and my dream is to one day share the ring and fight either one of them,” Chiteto said.

In as much as Chiteto has Mixed Martial Arts aspirations, he is under no delusions of grandeur about the road that lies ahead.

“It’s a work in progress, but the goal is to grace the Octagon.

“I am not yet there as they are still aspects of my game that still need refining. My grappling still needs a lot of work, and never was that more apparent than when I was watching Adesanya’s last fight on Sunday (last week),” he said.

“Jan Blachowicz won that fight due to having a superior mat-based offence, and I don’t want to make that same mistake if ever my MMA dreams come true.

“I need to work on my wrestling, jujitsu and judo, which should give me the required skill set to survive in Mixed Martial Arts.

“I was invited to Brazil by one of the trainers that saw me fight but I failed to go due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Hopefully, when things calm down, and it’s safer to travel, I will go there for a training camp,” he said.

In the meantime, Chiteto is very much content with getting as much exposure as possible, all the while working on his education.

“In as much as we are sportsmen, it’s always wise to have something to fall back on,” said the bantamweight fighter.

“Coming from a traditionally African family, we were taught to treasure an education.

“I am in my final year at the TelOne Centre for Learning, in Belvedere, where I am studying Telecommunication Engineering.

“I am also working towards my coaching papers, which I hope to get into once I retire,” he said.

Given that Chiteto only started Kickboxing by accident, he hopes to impart some of the lessons he has learnt so far onto the younger generation.

“I started the sport back in 2015 when my sister introduced me and her children to a trainer she knew,” he said.

“Apparently, I made an impression on him and he egged me to try fighting.

“I did, and won every competition I entered locally, before going to 17-3 on the international stage”.

In the short period that he has been in sport, Chiteto has witnessed its benefits and hopes to spread them onto the younger generation.

“Kickboxing is a sport on the rise and one which many people seem to not yet fully understand.

“Most people are afraid of getting hurt, and don’t see the health benefits.

“One can take kickboxing as a form of Cardio, for fitness and to lose weight.

“It’s a form of martial arts and teaches things like discipline and comes in handy as a form of self-defence,” Chiteto said.

 

Share This:

Survey


We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey

This will close in 20 seconds