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Karateka eyes Mr Zim double

Sport
Reigning Mr ZITF champion and multiple Zimbabwe karate medallist Blessing Sithole has set his sight on winning his category in the men’s physique division and the overall title at the national bodybuilding championships set for the Jubilee Hall in Harare tomorrow night.

Reigning Mr ZITF champion and multiple Zimbabwe karate medallist Blessing Sithole has set his sight on winning his category in the men’s physique division and the overall title at the national bodybuilding championships set for the Jubilee Hall in Harare tomorrow night.

BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE

Blessing Sithole

This year’s edition of the national bodybuilding championships will see athletes compete in 14 divisions while there are just two overall men titles to be won, the senior men bodybuilding and the men’s physique.

The 27-year-old bodybuilder and karateka’s best performance at Mr Zimbabwe was a second runner-up place achieved back in 2016, while he finished sixth last year.

In a bid to achieve his targets, Sithole has been working with former Zimbabwe men’s fitness champion Simba Mhaka as well as Mr Zimbabwe 2016 winner Paul Goredema.

“My target is to win in my category and in the overall title. I also want to bring a quality physique that has not being seen on the Zim stage and also to outshine each and every competitor I will be standing with on stage,” Sithole said.

“Preparations have been great so far, I have already started on my diet a few weeks back as instructed by my coach Mhaka. I also have other people helping me in my preps in former Mr Zimbabwe winner Goredema and bodybuilding legend Gerry Noble at Empire Gym,” he added.

Sithole has been in the iron pumping trade for about 10 years now but only started entering competitions in 2015. His ultimate dream is to compete at Mr Olympia, the biggest bodybuilding stage in the world.

In karate, Sithole represented Zimbabwe at the Region 5 Games in Mozambique last year and won two bronze medals in individual kumite and in team kumite.

This year, he was part of the team that travelled to Botswana for the Region 5 Games and got two bronze medals.

Sithole is also a competent handball and hockey player.

Current Zimbabwe senior men bodybuilding champion Ndumiso Dlodlo remains the star attraction as he seeks to defend his title while two-time Botswana national champion Upenyu “Big life” Mahlaulo has entered the competition.

Other names to watch out for include reigning Mr Novice Gerald Woodend, former Zimbabwe national middleweight and lightweight champion Blessing Samaringa and Blessing Nyapimbi the current Manicaland champion.

Female bodybuilders Juliet Chimbadzo and Wendy Du Cladier de Curac have also confirmed their participation.