Latwell Nyangu
HE is 17 but he has a dream – he wants to be the best squash player in the world.And, Ryan Gwidzima, the Falcon College schoolboy appears to be on the right track.
“My dream is to become the world number one squash player and it’s achievable,” he told H-Metro.
“When I went to England, at a young age, I became a three-time England champion for Under-15, Under-17, Under-19.
“I also managed to win the Sportsman of the Year, Junior Sportsman in 2018, although in 2022 I lost to Zimbabweans who are doing well outside the country.
“This year I managed to go to Australia for the World Cup Championships Under-19 and it was my first tournament in a couple of years.
“I finished number 54 out of 128 in the world.
“Prior to that, I had gone to Egypt in April in preparation for this tournament.
“This gave me a chance to connect with my friends and coaches who inspired me to carry on and this opened the doors to see what I want to do in future in terms of my squash career.”
The young player began his journey at the age of four.
“I started playing when I was four years old at the club I was staying and my father was the coach there and he was playing squash at the top level in the country.
“I then played a three good years until I found my way out when I got a scholarship to go to England when I was 12 years old.
“I managed to be part of the Zimbabwean national team last year in November when I played in the All-Africa Championships in Zimbabwe.
“I had done well in the previous small tournaments that Zimbabwe hosted and that helped me to be selected.
“I managed to get third place and that propelled me into the national team.”
He shared his first experience.
“My first main match was when we played Namibia and we managed to win 3-0.
“I am feeling more confident, in the beginning I wasn’t too sure about playing for the national team but now it’s different.
“When I got into the national team, I started connecting with players from all over Africa.
“They inspired me to continue, they say when you play tough matches, you get better.”
Ryan urged other young players to be bold and pursue their dreams.
“I would like to say that, no matter what people say to you, believe in yourself, that is the most important thing.
“Don’t doubt yourself, I want to be a squash player and nothing can stop me. Keep fighting.”