The newly-formed Bulawayo Wushu Association is re-introducing the martial arts sport in the city through conducting developmental programmes in schools.
The martial arts association has, through the Sports and Recreation Commission, written to the Bulawayo provincial education director Dan Moyo seeking permission to take the sport to schools in a bid to bring kung-fu into life in Bulawayo and the country in general.
The letter, signed by Bulawayo Metropolitan Province sports coordinator Simba Dzvimbu, who conducted the association’s election on March 10, reads: “This is to inform you that the Bulawayo Wushu Association is a registered and bona-fide association with the Sports and Recreation Commission. May you kindly allow them to conduct their sport developmental programmes in schools.”
The letter is dated March 13 and the senior coach of the association Given Dube and coordinator Simbarashe Simango yesterday said they were still awaiting response from the education director’s office.
“The reason we want to go to schools is we want the sport to start from grassroots. Wushu had become non-existent and we want to re-nationalise the sport by year-end. We want to open Wushu clubs in schools so that we have inter-clubs competitions,” Dube said.
Dube said there are currently only four Wushu coaches in the city that include himself, Simango (black belt), Welcome Chirwa (brown) and Goodman Kausiuyo (black). Kausiuyo is the association’s chairman while Pamela Sakayongo was elected secretary, Ntando Mabhena (organising secretary) and Tendai Ngoshi is the treasurer. The association holds training sessions at Pumula Open Air Hall in Old Pumula and Siziba Youth Centre in Njube from Mondays to Saturdays in the evenings.
