Kundai finds new home Kundai Maguranyanga

Collin Matiza Sports Editor
PROMISING Zimbabwean sprinter Kundai Maguranyanga has found a new home in the United States.

Maguranyanga, a former Pamushana High School pupil in Masvingo, has left Drake University in Iowa to join Texas Christian University in Texas.

He is set to reunite with top American track and field coach Daryl Anderson.

Anderson is the man who discovered him here in Zimbabwe three years ago.

The 22-year-old sprinter first moved to Drake University at the beginning of 2017 after he was lured by former Zimbabwe star long jumper and sprinter Ngoni Makusha. But Makusha, a bronze medallist for Zimbabwe in the men’s long jump at the 2011 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea, has since left Drake University and is now coaching at the University of California, Davis, in the United States.

Maguranyanga then submitted a transfer portal to the authorities at the college who were initially reluctant to let him go.

But in the United States, as soon as a player or athlete’s name is in the transfer portal it is usually difficult for the college’s authorities to turn down that request and Makusha was recently allowed to join another university of his own choice by Drake University.

And the young Zimbabwean sprinter decided to move to Texas Christian University who offered him a three-year athletics scholarship, starting from next month.

He will be under the tutelage of one of the United States’ top college sprints coaches — Anderson.

Maguranyanga first caught Anderson’s attention when the American coach visited Zimbabwe towards the end of August 2016.

The athlete later won himself a four-year athletics scholarship at Drake University.

“Kundai will be moving to Texas Christian University in December and has been offered a good package which also see him being exempted from paying tax which wasn’t the case at Drake University.

“He will be at Texas Christian University for the next three years and apart from his athletics scholarship he will be studying for the same Computer Sciences Degree,” his father, Joseph Maguranyanga, told The Herald from his base in Johannesburg, South Africa, yesterday.

Before deciding to severe his ties with Drake University, Kundai had a good outing there this year as he finished his season with three outdoor MVC titles to his credit, in addition to being named the league’s Most Valuable Performer.

Kundai, who swept the 200m event at the indoor and outdoor MVC Championship, finished his season one step away from advancing to the NCAA Championship as he finished eighth in his quarter-final heat.  His time of 21.28 seconds was the 22nd fastest time in the quarter-final heats.

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