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Sports Reporter
WORLD Kobudo champion and the first Zimbabwean internationally certified Bujinkan Ninja, Wilfred Mashaya, was honoured with a Master of the Year award by the Martial Heroes Council of Venice, Italy, and inducted into the first edition of Martial Heroes Hall Of Honours 2018 in Russia on Wednesdy night.

The Mufakose-born martial arts guru walked away with a unique golden trophy and certificate.

A holder of four different black belts in World So-Kyokushin Karate, Kobudo, Ninjutsu and Self Defence, Mashaya said he was happy to achieve such an honour for his country and Africa.

He felt the sport of martial arts unites people from different nations as it symbolises love, peace and respect.

With the Zimbabwean flag on his shoulders, Mashaya received huge applause as he walked to the podium to receive his award.

The award comes in the wake of his clinching the Kobudo World Championship and induction into the Barcelona Hall Of Honours in Spain on June 9.

Last month, he was adjudged the best participant at the Third World Humanitarian Festival of Martial Arts in Budva, Montenegro.

He was also honoured with the International Master of the Year Award.

Mashaya was appointed president of Sport Nunchaku by the World Nunchaku Association based in Netherlands after they were impressed with his skills in Nunchaku/chuckle sticks, an Okinawan weapon made popular by the legendary Bruce Lee.

He was appointed the Zimbabwe Kobudo ambassador and honoured with a golden medal by the president of the World Kobudo Association for being the first African to win big in Kobudo Martial Arts and by helping its development in Zimbabwe.

At the Russia event on Wednesday were other martial arts icons such as the queen of martial arts and Hollywood actress Cynthia Rothrock, Wing Chun grandmaster Samuel Kwok, 10th dan grandmaster Gary Wasniewski, actors and world champions Sunny Singh and Simon Kook, among other great martial artists from around the globe.

Popular actors and martial artists Shihan Steven Seagal and Sifu Donnie Yen of Ip man movies were honoured in absentia.

Mashaya has managed to pioneer three different martial arts disciplines in Zimbabwe, Ninjutsu, Kobudo and Nunchaku-do.