Zimbabwe’s beast incarnate
KEITH Machakaire is arguably one of the strongest athletes in the country.
The 24-year-old UZ Wolves utility player is a gym freak, results of which saw him voted the best server at the Zone VI Volleyball Championships held earlier this month in Durban.
And an accolade he is not satisfied with. “I was a little disappointed, as I was aiming for the big one.
“I wanted to be the MVP (most valuable player),” said Machakaire. “I want to be the best, end of story! “I don’t take any days off,” he said. For the volleyball star, raising the bar is something he takes both literally and figuratively.
“I trained hard, I enjoy hitting the ball hard, but I also worked on my passing and defensive skills. I went to the gym every day and did some volleyball-based exercises on speed and jumping,” he said.
UZ Wolves lost the Zone VI Championship 3-1 in the final to Botswana’s Police VI.
Victory for Wolves would have been Machakaire’s second successive Zone VI title after winning it with Support Unit last year in Bulawayo. Ironically, Support Unit beat UZ Wolves in that final. However, Machakaire is already preparing for the Africa Club Championships scheduled for Tunisia in March next year.
“Training this way gives me an edge over everyone else,” said Machakaire, in reference to his extensive gym routine.
“It makes me feel professional in my everyday conduct. I don’t drink or smoke, I just train and try to improve myself every day.
“I am already on pre-season training and will be in the gym from 6am for about five to six hours,” he said.
Machakaire went on to reveal further secrets, most notably the origins of his ‘Beast’ moniker and the two women who urge him on behind the scenes.
On the nickname, the 24-year-old said: “It’s probably because of my aggression on the court.
“I played last year’s (Zone VI) tournament with a dislocated finger, and we won. I think all things come into play,” he said.
While the Wolves utility player is almost School can be described as the turning point of her career, as the school soon offered Moyo a scholarship which, in turn, allowed her to both hone her skills and study further. That was in 2011. Her success story became telling thereafter, as she bagged several national tournament awards and gained acceptance from her family and friends.
After completing “A” level in 2014, she enrolled for her first degree in Music and Musicology at MSU. That very same year she turned professional, joining Glow Petroleum under the mentorship of Perpetua Siyachitema and Sam Masvaure.
“I completed my “A” level in 2013 and proceeded straight to Midlands State University in 2014.
“That same year, I started playing for Glow Petroleum Queens under coaches Perpetua Siyachitema and Sam Masvaure,” said Moyo.
Re-joining Mwenezi High School in 2016, but this time on internship, she temporarily suspended her netball career before resuming it the following year by joinin Platinum Queens. At Platinum Queens, Moyo is the player with the most accolades.
She has been named Player of the Tournament nine times and capped off a brilliant 2018 season by bagging overall Player of the Season at her club.
“Winning awards is a big confidence-booster for me, but more importantly, they give younger players something to aim for or emulate.”