The ManicaPost
Fungayi Munyoro Sports Correspondent
MUTARE Boys High School Form 3 student Anesu Kamuriwo (15) says he was inspired by veteran Chevrons and Mountaineers player Donald Tiripano to take up the sport.
Kamuriwo together with Panashe Nhenga had an opportunity of a lifetime when they travelled top Singapore in November last year to take part in the Singapore Cricket Association Emerging Players Under-17 Regional Tournament courtesy of Tino Mawoyo.
They were the only foreigners to take part in the tournament. “I started playing cricket while I was doing Grade 3 at Chirowakamwe Primary School in Dangamvura. The person who inspired me was Donald Tiripano.
We were neighbours and I would follow him closely. At times he would train with me.
“He (Donnie) is my role model. He encouraged me to take cricket seriously. He told me that cricket is one of the sports that pays well and I took his advice. My dream is to reach the level that he reached,” he said.
Apart from Singapore, Kamuriwo was also part of the Zimbabwe Under-14 team that took part in the Momentum tournament in 2017 in South Africa.
His teammate and Hillcrest student Panashe Nhenga said he got a Hillcrest School scholarship for Grade 7.
Nhenga said he continued with his career which started at Baring Primary School.
“I started liking cricket while I was at Baring Primary School. I then got a sponsorship to go to Hillcrest. I continued with the sport. Now I am doing Form 3 at Hillcrest College. I was inspired by my brother Munyaradzi. My favourite cricket star is South African star Kagiso Rabada,” he said.
Nhenga has many accolades to his name which include Double Wicket Tournament bowler of the tournament award which he won three years ago.
He also won the Seven- A-Side best bowler in 2017. He was also voted T20 player of the tournament recently.
He said the support that he gets from his family keeps him going.
“My family is very supportive when it comes to cricket. I went to Singapore in November and I learnt a lot by just mixing and mingling with players from Singapore. I am grateful to Tino Mawoyo for giving me such an opportunity,” he said.
Mawoyo said they are looking forward to a long relationship with Singapore Cricket.
“We hope to maintain the relationship that we have built. Next year we hope to send again two to three players for the same tournament. It is good for the development of the game and the players will also gain exposure,” he said.
