My story - Raymond Chingururu
BIO :
I started playing darts around the age of sixteen as I
used to watch my father Ronald Snr Chingururu play. My first encounter was
during the KDDA (Kadoma District Darts Association) Mash West league when I
filled the gap in the team as there was an absent player. This filled my mind
with curiosity of what the game is exactly about. I started training more
familiarizing myself with the game and gained some know–how.
My training was much more challenging as I trained at
home with my brother Ronald “Magic Fingers” Chingururu who is a multiple time
gold-medalist and also at Magamba (The place of darts in Rimuka) with some
senior players like Vacancy Chepiri whom is my friend who started playing the
sport at an earlier stage than me.
During my time at Jameson High Kadoma doing my ordinary
level from 2014-2016 I never got the chance to play an official game because at
my school were no darts. The sport was later introduce in 2017 and this made my
year as I was looking forward to it but my happiness was in vain as struggled
to even get past the first level of the tournaments. During my first NASH
schools competitions I was knocked out in the district competitions yet that
there was still a long way to the Nationals. However, somehow I felt
good because I had given it my all and also I now had full focus towards my
final O`level examinations. I managed to pass with good grades and was enrolled
back at Jameson High for another two years.
The wise once said “It’s our moments of struggle that
define us, but how we handle them is what matters” ~Morgan Freeman. After this horrible encounter I say, I chose to
get myself up and work more to make my dream in darts possible. My first step
was to join the darts league as part of JZ Moyo Airbase Darts club
‘Dandemutande’ so that I gain stage exposure and conquer my fears on the oche
(darts-stage). Playing in the league was very delightful as I not only managed
to boost myself up but win the KDDA league in the process booking my ticket to
my first seniors nationals in early 2019.
Now the darts season kicked off early mid-term and
everyone was ready for it. I came back more vicious and hungry for victory and
this kicked-off my season without tasting defeat coming out on top in the
under-18 Sanyati District team. After two weeks the Provincials were held at
Ngezi High in Mhondoro and this was my final hurdle to the Nationals in Mutare.
I made 4th place in the MashWest U18 team just a point behind my
buddy Vacancy Chepiri on the 3rd. After a few months the darts
season was wrapped up by NASH Nationals in Mutare. I captained the Under 18
boys team and this was my debut juniors Nationals. As expected, my province won
the overall trophy for a third consecutive time and I captained my team to
victory with a team gold. In the singles, we brought the under 18 boys gold and
bronze medal to Mashonaland West with Vacancy Chepiri on gold and myself on
bronze. Frantic efforts were made as we squashed one of the provinces a
whitewash 16-0 in the process and we were first ones to do it in the NASH darts
history, thumbs up!
These accolades made a mark in my career and I was
grateful for a start. My school ‘Jameson High’ applauded me for my efforts as I
was the first student to reach that far in darts since the sport was introduced
in 2017 and was awarded the “Best Player of the Year 2018” award both at school
and district level. From this day onwards for every tournament I took part, the
school sponsored me in every possible way with equipment, travels and etc. and
I would like to thank them for that especially the Head, Mr. Matsiwe who saw
potential in me and supported my journey in darts.
As the year progressed, I was accepted to join a darts
club “DC darts-control” based in Vienna Austria but due to cultural distance I
have been a representative here in Zimbabwe. I have been updating them about my
performance and results from the tournaments I took part. The darts-control
which is an affiliate of the Wienna Dartsverbant (Austrian Darts Association)
has been so supportive by providing me with darts accessories that is arrows, dartboards,
flights and shafts. They even send me custom made jersey with my name on it,
Thank you.
The New Year 2019 came looking forward to my first
seniors national The Champions of Champions held in Munyati near Kwekwe. My
club had won the regional league so we were representing our province at this
tourney. This was tough competition as there were top clubs and best players of
the country competing like D.Nyemba and Kudzanayi Nyemba to mention a few. The
moment I like to remember most about this tournament is me playing against the
Zim number 1 D.Nyemba, which was a very challenging but motivating too.
It now came the time to try out for a jacket in the
seniors’ nationals’ tournaments which are Easter and Heroes tournaments held in
April and August respectively. One day I told my school head Mr. A. Matsiwe for
the support to travel to trials and buy equipment as this was not part of the
school’s sports calendar and without doubt he was with me all the way. District
trials were a walk in the park and at Provincials we managed to book our places
in U19 team with my buddies Vacancy Chepiri and Matthew Maganda. Training was
very crucial towards April as we thrived to be better and competitive to the
game play of seniors at a very tender age. Now April came during the Easter
weekend and we travelled to Harare Belvedere Teachers College with other 9
provinces included. As the juniors playing against seniors men teams was quite
hard but fun, in some cases you would get defeated in no time. My team managed
to reach the Quarter Finals and there ended our run. In the process some of us
collected 180 badges, Highest Finishes and appreciation awards from the
National Darts Association of Zimbabwe.
After the holidays, schools Mid-term began and as usual
the NASH darts season too. I performed well at district level and defended my
jacket in the team on bronze medal. All the way to provincials in Karoi I kept
my strengths and came out undefeated in the singles games and on 20 points tie
to my team mate Vacancy Chepiri. We played a tie breaker game and with focus
and a bit of luck I managed to take the gold medal home and a highest finish of
111 got me an extra gold medal. Due to our remarkable efforts, my team managed
to whitewash on of the opponents 16-0 in the knockout stage. After this I
received a new set of arrows from the school for good performance and a custom
jersey all the way from darts-control in Austria, Thank you all.
A month after, in June I was named Captain of the
Mashonaland West province for the 2019 nationals in Gwanda. As the reigning and
defending x3 champions, we were bound to be ready and fit for it. The
competition came and as Captain I managed to retain the overall trophy back
home for the 4th consecutive time with five team golds and as for
the under 18 I was parts we thrashed Mat. South 13-3 in the final. Thumbs up
for my team mates Vacancy Chepiri and Matthew Maganda for collecting singles
gold and silver respectively. Myself I went extra with a highest checkout of
102.
In all these competitions I have been putting my efforts
out there for the world to see what I am trying to archive in sport and I have
been getting assistance from numerous individuals such as the Jameson High
during my time there, darts-profi.com and darts-control. Your support is
greatly appreciated.
👍
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