Fast Track, a weekly Round up of African Sports News is produced by the BBC World Service and is presented by Zimbabwean Farayi Mungazi.

The Fast Track show is live on Mondays and Fridays from 4-5pm (GMT) and on Sundays from 6:20 – 6:30pm (GMT). On the show Farayi discusses the issues and asks the questions that every African sports fan wants to hear.

About Farayi Mungazi

He was born in Zimbabwe where he was a sports presenter and commentator for the ZBC before he joined the World Service in 1999 where he works on the sports output for Focus on Africa, Network Africa and the BBC African football website. He says he likes cricket and figure skating and hopes to run the London Marathon one day.

For More details and to listen to his show Live as well as previous episodes, follow this link to the Fast Track Show on The BBC

Samson Muripo created history becoming the first person from an African country to win the Karate World Championship when he claimed gold in the middle weight Kiyokishini Karate in Osaka Japan.

The remarkable performance in Japan earlier this year means he joins other  Zimbabwean sporting heroes like diver Evan Stewart and swimmer Kirsty Coventry by turning himself into a world champion in his chosen sport.

A third Dan black belt holder, Samson is also the African middleweight champion and the technical director of the Mas Oyama Dojo club at Harare’s Raylton Sports Club.  He beat five other karatekas on his way to winning the world championship. He beat Alberto Santamaria of Spain in the first round and then knocked out Degeniyazov Nurken of Kazakhstan in the next round to proceed to the quarter-finals. In the quarter-finals, he beat Herman Laschak of Germany and suddenly he was just two steps away from the gold. Australian karateka Daniel Fox was the next victim, falling in the semi-finals, to give Muripo the ticket into the final.

In the final he went up against local boy Kikuyama Yasumichi of Japan and, once again, Muripo won the bout to capture the gold medal for Zimbabwe in the middleweight division.

Not to be confused with the British Home Secretary also named Jacqui Smith, who last year warned of an influx of Zimbabweans into the UK, and who had to repay British taxpayers £21 after it was revealed that expenses she claimed last year for home internet service also included four pay-per-view movies, two of which were adult films!

We are talking about the Zimbabwean Jacqui Smith, who used to swim for Zimbabwe and who recently completed the iconic feat of swimming across the English Channel.

I don’t know about you guys, but I have dipped my toe in the sea in Brighton before and it was almost frozen off, so the idea of swimming from Dover to Cap Blond-Nez in France sounds like madness.

The swim took her 12hrs 35mins and she did it to raise money for WEZIMBABWE, a Registered Charity (in England) that is dedicated to the training for children and young people throughout Zimbabwe.

Before the even she said that “The more money I raise for Zim, the more I will quite literally be encouraged not miss training, every penny will push me closer to France.” and that “One pound will go miles in Zimbabwe… I am not asking for a fortune, just a small donation.”  To date she has raised (offline & online) £4,511.27, which is not far at all from her target of £5,000.00.

It is not too late to recognise her incredible effort with a donation:

http://www.justgiving.com/jacquismithschannelswim/ or for more on her swim, take a look at her blog: Jacqui Smith English Channel Swim.

The Zimbabwe U19 Rugby team recently beat defending champions Namibia 39-7 in the final played at the Rugby Football Union of East Africa yesterday, to become the new Africa Rugby Confederation Under-19 champions.

The Zimbabwean coach Byron Chivandire said, “They are a very good team (Namibia). We were under no illusion about what they were capable of doing had they got the rhythm. Our plan was to shut them down and leave them with no option to run the ball, run in phases and eventually spread the ball wide.”

Zimbabwen full-back Danny Robertson was also named as the most valuable player of the one-week tournament.

Chivandire urged the organisers to consider revising the format. “Teams need more time to play each other especially at this age. We played only three games and would have loved to play against the other teams for exposure,” he said.

Zimbabwean player, Brendan Chapman said “This was a sweet revenge, for Last years lost to Namibai. We expected it to be a close game and had planned to defend in every department, lock up their forwards and play in the space. Namibia did not give up but exerted pressure upto the last minute. I think they were shocked after we led 17-0. It was also unlucky that their kicker Johan Deysel who had been very accurate in the past matches was not on form today.”

The match was played at a high pace and Zimbabwe barely gave Namibia a chance to settle. Chapman opened the scores in the eighth minute and Farai Mupasiri converted. Zimbabwean lock Schalk Ferreira was yellow-carded by Tunisian referee Bahroun Heykel in the 10th minute but Namibia could not make the numerical advantage count.

Mupasiri who was in a fine kicking form drilled over a drop goal in the 22nd minute to stretch the lead 10-0. Tafadzwa Chitokwindo then scored Zimbabwe’s second try in the 32nd minute and Mupasiri converted for the half time score of 17-0.

In the second half, Namibia were quick off the starting blocks and took only three minutes to make their presence felt when substitute winger Chase Dirgaard broke through to score. A change of kickers saw fly-half Zirk Coetzee slot the conversion from a difficult angle.

It was another seven minutes before Zimbabwe exploded into action and Terrence Kuvarega went over from a good run by the backs. Mupasiri who was in a fine kicking form slotted the conversion.

Schalk Ferreira who had been yellow-carded in the first half then showed surprising speed sprinting past the Namibian backs to score near the post. When Namibian eighth-man Royal Otto was sin binned in the 14th minute of the second half, Mupasiri was on the spot kicking over another penalty to stretch the lead 32-7. Chitokwindo then completed his brace in the 70th minute and Mupasiri converted.

Final score

Namibia 7 Zimbabwe 39 (Half-time: 0-17)

Scorers

Namibia: Tries: Chase Diergaard; Conversion: Zirk Coetzee.
Zimbabwe: Tries: Brendan Chapman, Tafadzwa Chitokwindo (2), Terrence Kuvarega, Schalk Ferreira; Penalties: Farai Mupasiri; Drop goal: Farai Mupasiri; Conversions: Farai Mupasiri (4).

Line ups

Namibia: 15 Johannes Tromp, 14 Richard Ockhuizen, 13 Ashwin Walters (22), 12 Johan Deysel, 11 Russel Van Wyk (21), 10 Zirk Coetzee, 9 Pieter Jansen (20), 8 Royal Otto, 7 Waldo Schaefer (captain), 6 Jaco Wiese, 5 Arne De Klerk, 4 Munee Tjiueza (19), 3 Henk Roets (17), 2 Daniel Van Vuuren (16), 1 Grant Kurz (18); Replacements: 16 Karel Van Heerden, 16 Franklin Bertolini, 18 Gert Henning, 19 Jacob Mare, 20 Pandeni Ueitele, 21 Chase Diergaard, 22 Gift Kamundu.

Zimbabwe: 15 Danny Roberts, 14 Tafadzwa Chitokwindo, 13 Mathew Swales, 12 Johnathan McWade (22), 11 Terrence Kuvarega, 10 Farai Mupasiri, 9 Graham Kaulback (20), 8 Biselele Tshamala, 6 Brendan Chapman (captain), 5 Sasha Halloway, 4 Schalk Ferreira, 3 Richard Sainsbury (18), 2 Tatenda Karuru, 1 Simba Msarurwa (16); Replacements: 16 Tapiwa Rabwi, 17 Brian Makamure, 18 Dimitri Zaverdinos, 19 David Watson, 20 Charles Jiji, 21 Lungile Tshuma, 22 Daniel Turner.

Yellow Cards
Schalk Ferreira (Zimbabwe)
Royal Otto (Namibia)

Charles Coventry equaled the highest individual one-day international score but could not prevent Zimbabwe losing the series against Bangladesh.

Fourth one-day international, Bulawayo:
Bangladesh 313-8 (47.5 overs) bt Zimbabwe 312-8 (50 overs) by four wickets

Coventry fired an unbeaten 194 from 156 balls to equal the total set by Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar in 1997. Coventry fired 16 fours and seven sixes as he equalled Anwar’s feat with his maiden international ton. But with his Zimbabwe side managing 312-8 from their 50 overs, Bangladesh reached 313-6 with 13 balls to spare. The win gives Bangladesh an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series with one match still to play.

Video Coverage of Coventry’s unbeaten 194 from 156 balls:

>> Read Full Story

BULAWAYO: Zimbabwe defeated Bangladesh by 69 runs in the third One-day International at the Queen’s Sports Club on Friday and Hamilton Masakadza hits a maiden one-day century.

Third one-day international, Bulawayo:
Zimbabwe 323-7 (50 overs) bt Bangladesh 254 (44.2 overs) by 69 runs

Masakadza made 102 and shared a fourth-wicket stand of 142 with Brendan Taylor, who was run out for 94. Elton Chigumbura weighed in with five sixes in his unbeaten 61 off 33 balls as the home side totalled 323-7.

Seamer Tawanda Mupariwa and spinner Ray Price then took three wickets each as as Bangladesh were bowled out for 254.

Despite the defeat, Bangladesh lead the series 2-1.

>> Full Report on BBC News