IT'S not always that siblings take an interest in the same sport and become good at it.
But so it was for the Kadzombes Nicole (15), Bradley (15) and Juanita, who have managed to excel in Karate, a sport which they started as a pastime, for keeping fit and boosting self-confidence.
All of them have already represented Zimbabwe on the international scene and recently flew the country's flag high at the Gaborone Open, which was held last month in Botswana.
In Botswana, it was Bradley and Juanita who scooped medals while Nicole finished fifth, but never the less all the siblings have five medals a piece.
Nicole, who is one of the country's rising female stars, reflected on her career since she started.
“I started karate because I wanted to be able to defend myself especially as a girl child. However, karate is a sport I enjoyed watching on television and I just wanted to experience the feeling of doing karate. Eventually I felt the desire to compete with others and here I am,” Nicole told The Sports Hub.
For Bradley, the only boy among the siblings, self defence was also the main motivator but he also adds the dimension of self confidence.
"Karate is one sport that boosts the self confidence of an individual so it has helped me a lot in that area. Otherwise I also wanted to be able to defend myself. At the moment I am a second kyu brown belt in the Goju-Kai style, but it is my desire to go further and obtain the highest belt in the sport," he said.
- Kadzombe siblings excel in Karate
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It is not too hard to guess the inspiration behind Juanita also taking up karate as a sport of choice.
The two elder siblings.
"Nicole and Bradley are the ones who drove me to start a karate career. I was feeling left out every time we had to watch them compete and win medals. I also wanted to make my family proud by winning lots of medals. I also want to be better than my elder sister and brother," Juanita said.
Interestingly Juanita was the best performer from the family at the Gaborone Open International Karate Championships, scooping a gold medal in the 10-11 years old kumite category.
Bradley won silver in the 14 -15 years class while Nicole finished fifth in the Under 55kgs division.
But all this they would not have achieved without the support of their parents Mike and Kudzai Kadzombe.
Mike Kadzombe is chaffed that her kids are doing well in karate and even flying the national colours across the boarders.
He explained how it all began.
“We started training karate as a family in 2017, as a way of keeping fit, but the kids fell in love with the sport that they wanted to compete at tournaments. It is humbling that all my kids are excelling and representing Zimbabwe," he said.
“What is interesting is that we are guaranteed medals at home whenever my children participate in tournaments either locally or outside the country.”
Zimbabwe Karate captain, Sensei Fortune Nyabanga who trains the trio sees a great future for the Kadzombe kids.
“I started training them in 2019 and it has been nice working with them because they are hard workers and hungry to win and this can be seen by what they have achieved in the last year since they started competing at the highest level," Nyabanga said.
“And to be honest, in them I see a great future and Zimbabwe captains in the making of the three siblings.”
At the moment Nicole and Bradley are brown belt holders while Juanita has a blue belt.
