By Flata Kavinga
Vipers Taekwondo Club representative Britney Kadewere says the organisation plans to significantly upgrade facilities and competition systems over the next five years as part of a broader push to help Zimbabwe position itself to bid for the World Taekwondo Games.
Kadewere was speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the 3rd Vipers Taekwondo Championship in Kwekwe on Saturday, where she applauded the strong turnout and growing depth of talent at this year’s event.
“This year’s edition has featured a lot of potential athletes, and a lot of clubs have supported our championship,” she said. “We are hosting 15 clubs from within and outside Zimbabwe, so the competition is a bit intense. Today we’ve watched the cadets and kids fighting, which shows that this championship is going to raise future stars.”
Kadewere said the club’s long-term vision is to transform the annual tournament into a globally recognised event.
“In the next five years we are planning to be able to host a G-ranked tournament — that’s a global-ranked tournament,” she said. “We are working to improve our standards here in Zimbabwe, starting with facilities and also the systems we’ll be using, so that we can get a chance to bid for Zimbabwe to host the World Taekwondo Games. That is our vision.”
The 3rd Vipers Taekwondo Championship has continued to grow since its inception, attracting more participation each year, and organisers say the target now is to align the event with international standards.
Kadewere said the club believes sustained investment and cooperation across the taekwondo community will be key to achieving these ambitions.
“We want to make sure that Zimbabwe is represented competitively on the global stage,” she said. “If we improve our structures, our athletes and our events, we can get there.”
