Manyuchi changing the narrative of sports icons

Besides his pugilistic excellence, former World Boxing Council silver welterweight champion Charles Manyuchi is an astute entrepreneur.

The boxer has invested his earnings during a successful sports career into a diversified portfolio.

Manyuchi also runs a gym in Masvingo, as well as a gold mining venture called Tembo Mine in the same province

Manyuchi is into dog breeding and he supplies dogs to security companies from which project he gets a substantial amount of money every month. Watch his dogs https://youtube.com/shorts/Jwo6lxhNoxo?feature=share

Another sports personality, different story

GUMBONZVANDA Business Centre in Wedza,located some 127 kilometres southeast of Harare is a hive of activity.

The curtain is coming down to one of the best-sponsored sports tournaments in this country, the Tinmac Foundation festival.

Legislator for that area, Tino Machakaire, who is also the Deputy Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation bankrolls this jamboree through his logistics business, Tinmac Holdings.

This is probably the biggest contest, in terms of inclusivity, not only of participants but of sport codes involved.

Football, netball, cycling, track athletics, volleyball, tug-of-war as well as some traditional sports including pada, hwishu (traditional cricket), bottle race, raka-raka and mafurawu are all part of the competition.

And on this sunny November day in 2021, it's the finals taking place hence the bumper crowd.

Machakaire has invited the who is who of football in Zimbabwe, ZIFA, PSL, clubs and journalists to witness the best of rural talent.

The soccer final, that comes at 3pm is tightly-contested.

The finalists, Goneso and Zviyambe South are bitter rivals and moments into the second half, the latter break the ice and start dictating proceedings.

There appears to be no way out for their opponents.

Sensing a loss, that would mean surrendering a cool US$4000 cash prize to their nemesis, Goneso's coach Taurai Kamanga looks over his shoulder and summons a burly man to prepare to come in.

That man suddenly draws attention not only of the dominant rural crowd but also of football legends present including Dynamos coach Tonderai Ndiraya, Moses Chunga, Elvis "Chuchu" Chiweshe and Justice Majabvi.

The substitute is a former Dynamos captain and defender Tafadzwa Maingire.

Nothing is strange for he hails from this place and merits a place in his team.

But he comes on without proper football boots. He is carrying a lot of weight and predictably does nothing to change the fate of his team. He shares the pain with his teammates.

Things are not what they used to be when Maingire was still playing for Dynamos before he also had some brief stints in Botswana.

Ndiraya calls him after the match.

"Things are tight coach. I have been here since my last stint in Botswana some nine years ago. I would obviously appreciate it if you can help me enrol for a coaching course," he says, with some desperation in his voice.

There is no hiding the hard times he has hit.

It is in sharp contrast to the life he used to lead when he was the skipper of the country's biggest team.

Maingire's life mirrors the situation most of sports heroes end up in as soon as they retire from active play.

Statistics say 78 percent of athletes become broke just two years after retiring, nomatter how much they would have earned during their active careers.

"I wish I could find someone to help me out of the situation I am in. During my active days, I owned three cars and lived large but failed to invest in a house in any town," Maingire told the media.

There are hundreds of former athletes, some of who earned more than what Maingire was getting at his peak, who are even in a worst off situation.

Former Commonwealth Boxing champion Zvenyika "Mosquito" Alifonso is living a pauper's life in Harare's high density of Mbare.

The 1990 Zimbabwe Premiership soccer star of the George Nechironga who also had some fruitful time in the South African top-flight and Poland has been reduced to a charity case.

Nechironga used to stay at a plush house in South Africa and owned a fleet of top-of-the-range cars, but all that disappeared as soon as he retired.

He is now living at his family house in Glen Norah with well-wishers occasionally .

Legendary sprint king Artwell Mandaza, former Warriors captain Francis Shonhayi and former national team full-back Charles Yohane all had pauper's burials despite having once leading idol lives.

Even international icons like Mike Tyson, Emmanuel Eboue and Diego Maradona who were millionaires still fell into the trap.

Financial literacy is the answer

Sports Leaders Institute of Zimbabwe (SLIZ) president Russel Mhiribidi said divorce, financial illiteracy, recklessness and bad management are some of the major factors driving the phenomenon the world over.

"Look, an active sports career is very short and it needs to be managed well.

"Athletes tend to forget they will need to survive well after their active career is over," said Mhiribidi.

"It's a tricky situation that need athletes to be well-drilled in terms of financial literacy and also considering a sustainable career path after they are done with the active game.

"Athletes need to be managed, to be guided on priorities rather than enjoying luxury for a short time.

"There are so many career paths to consider while the athletes are still active. Talk of sports medicine, performance analysis, you name it..."

Mhiribidi's SLIZ is on a drive, through their winter and summer camps to educate sports administrators and athletes alike on the need to manage finances well.

Zimbabwe National Boxing and Wrestling Control Board chief executive officer Lawrence Zimbudzana said sportspersons need to be trained on life skills.

"Sport is a very short career although it is rewarding. There is need for sporting associations to invest in equipping athletes with life skills," said Zimbudzana.

"You look at it this way, maybe take the karatekas for welding lessons after their training sessions, things like that."

Tips from Charles Manyuchi

Manyuchi says a mind that is open to sound advice is important.

"I think listening and following advice from managers and some people in society who have done well is the secret. My management team kept on telling me to invest and I followed their advice." Manyuchi said.

He says there is no need to keep on repeating the same mistakes that others have gone through already. Instead it is better to choose role models that have done well.

"I was looking at those before me, the life they are leading and the like. I also look up to people like musician Alick Macheso who is a successful farmer and asked myself why not me. Athletes should be motivated and inspired by people who would have done it before them."