Zimbabwes unsung hero in the field of sports medicine, Nicholas Munyonga, developed the love for the profession in the late 80s at Zengeza High 1 in Chitungwiza.

REPORT BY ALBERT MARUFU The long serving member of the Warriors technical team could not fit into the schools Under-14 soccer team, but his love for sporting activities saw him carrying the water bottle for boys.

I started off as a medic for the schools Under-14 team that had the likes of Alois Bunjira, among others, said Munyonga who is now the University of Zimbabwe-trained medical doctor.

I do not know where the interest was coming from but I think to a larger extent, it was more of just wanting to be involved, he told Standardsport.

However, that interest grew and the former Zengeza High 1 School flanker in the schools rugby team, went on to become a medic for teams at the University of Zimbabwe, where he was studying for a degree in medicine.

Today Munyonga is a distinguished medical commissioner for the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee; serves on the World anti-doping agency (Wada), the Fifa medical committee and was recently appointed to the Supreme Council for Sport in Africas Zone VI Games.

Munyonga, who works as a group executive co-ordinator Health Care at the Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS), was the sports medicine director for Zimbabwe at the Commonwealth Games in England in 2002, chief medical officer for Zimbabwe at the 2004 All-Africa Games in Nigeria, the team doctor for the Under-20 rugby team at the 2005 World Cup.

He was also the team doctor for the Warriors at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia.

In 2008, he was incorporated into Wada to educate athletes on the dangers of doping and was the team doctor for the 2007 and 2011 Zimbabwe teams at the Junior World Rugby Trophy.

Recently, Munyonga travelled as the doctor for Team Zimbabwe at the London 2012 Olympic Games, where he took care of athletes such as the seven-time Olympic medalist, Kirsty Coventry.

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Munyonga: sports medicine guru