The Sunday Mail
will be out to defend his title
YOUNG Harrison Junior Karizamimba is aiming for the stars as he is set to defend his gold medal at the Zone Six Karate Championships pencilled in for South Africa in June.
The only opponent the 13-year-old fears is financial challenges that are threatening to hinder his trip to defend his kumite title won last year in Zambia.
“I am confident that I will retain my medal. The challenge is every time we go for these championships it is our parents who have to pay for everything.
“So, there comes a time when our parents begin to struggle to finance us. I just wish we could get support from corporate companies or Government just as we see being done for other teams from some African countries.
“The South African was the toughest opponent I have faced since I began karate. He was fast technically and had a big body. But throughout the fight, I was encouraged by my coach Paul Danisa to take him down,” said Karizamimba.
Yet the technique to fight had already been evident at the age of seven when Karizamimba took down a Grade Four student after a scuffle over a coin.
“My sister saw that the fight had turned bad and went to call the maid who managed to stop the fight. That was just a kids’ fight I have ever been involved in on the streets. I understand that karate is about discipline because you know all the weak points that can injure a person,” chuckled Karizamimba.
A second form student at Marondera High, Karizamimba was crowned king at the Zone Six Karate Championships last year after beating the title holder in the quarter-finals by a single point.
He went on to kick out a Namibian opponent in the semi-finals, winning 10-1 on points.
The former Lochinvar Primary School pupil then ousted his Zambian opponent in the finals on the way to scooping the coveted gold medal.
Coached by his father and namesake, Karizamimba began training as a karateka when he was in Grade One.
With a record of an older sister who got a black belt at Grade Seven, the shy lad began training shukokai at the Karate Headquarters. By the age of 10, Karizamimba began training dentokai at the City Bowling Club before eventually landing at Old Hararians Sports Club where he trained gindokai.
With such versatility, it was a matter of time before Karizamimba started scooping awards.
At the age of 11, he came second at the Zimbabwe Champion of Champions tournament in kumite and kata styles for the 10-11 years age groups.
The victory earned him a selection into the national team. From then on, it was a highway of no return as Karizamimba got his first victory wearing national colours in 2013 in Namibia.
“I got a bronze medal and that was my first international award. Later in the year, I bagged another gold medal in kumite and bronze in kata at the Harare Shotokan Karate Academy.
“I want to be a world champion in the future,” Karizamimba said.
Other accolades the young star holds include first and second places for kumite and kata awarded at the University of Zimbabwe Invitational Tournament late last year.
Karizamimba noted that the team has been dwindling each year due to financial constraints.
“In 2013 when we travelled to Namibia, we were 35, but already last year we had dropped to only 15. Most of the time these karatekas have no money to travel for these tournaments, yet they are talented fighters,” the last born in a family of four said.
Born and bred in the medium-density suburb of Lochinvar in Harare, Karizamimba trains for two hours daily and the programme gets intensive during school holidays when his father takes him through the sessions.
Unfortunately, at Marondera High he has to train alone as the school has no club which trains karate.
