Height plays a vital role in the world of sports and in areas like basketball and volleyball it has granted glory and honour to sportspersons. Support Unit Volleyball club possesses such a pride, Kevins “Giant Gonzalo” Mugovera, a stunning middle blocker, who is 2.08m tall.
By Costain Shamu
At the age of 23, Kevins Mugovera weighs just over 80kg and has a gifted leap. He is surely destined to be one of the future stars, having a bright career boosted by a gold medal at the 2016 National Youth Games held in Malawi, silver at Zim Open tournament 2019 and also honoured with bronze in the Zimbabwe National League in the same year.
It’s not easy to be a stand out among a crowd and the tall lad said he used to be shy about his height until he finally found his breakthrough after joining volleyball in 2015.
“I used to be shy of my height until I started playing professional volleyball in 2015 and it’s been working well for me, I am always ready for new challenges.” said Mugovera.
Since his career took off, he has only played for Support Unit Volleyball club and in 2019, their team represented Zimbabwe during the Zone 6 Championship games in Malawi.
“Giant Gonzalo”, a son of a retired police officer, was born on 2 April 1997 and was raised in Harare at the Support Unit camp, Chikurubi. He is the odd one, coming from a family of average heights.
Mugovera said he has been training consistently for the up comimg challenges but the uncertainties wrapping up the sporting field currently have compromised his morale.
“I have been training with my coach, even attending his online fitness trainings but I am worried about the delays as we will lose competitiveness by lacking game time but nevertheless we are more than ready to go.” said Kevins.
His coach and Fitness Trainer, Mr Donold “Skilz” Chademana believes that the young lad has much more to offer in the near future and a force to reckon in the league.
“Kevins has been working hard to improve himself and with that added advantage and age, I believe he has so much to offer in our team and even the country if the opportunity presents itself.” said his coach.
Although there are other professional tall volleyball players like Russia’s Olympic Gold Medalist Dimitry Muserskiy (2.19m) and Brazilian outside hitter Renan Bullati (2.17m), Kevins is not so far away from this class of rare talent.
However, the Guinness book of records has a 100 year standing record of the tallest man ever to live, Robert Pershing Wadlow (2.72m) and the tallest man alive being Turkey’s Sultan Modem (2.51m) at the age of 39.
In Zimbabwe there hasn’t been much documentation of such records and Lowveld Checkpoint managed to research and found out that the tallest person in Zimbabwe, alive, stands at 2.11m, Simbarashe Mhukahuru, but sadly, he is not inclined to professional sports.
You can watch a video of Giant Gonzalo here. Just click below.
