Masasire jack of all trades

[zimfan1]

Masasire jack of all trades PDF Print E-mail
Written by Farayi Machamire, Sports Writer
Monday, 16 April 2012 14:39
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HARARE - Some people spend a life time trying to identify if at all they possess any talent, but for Luke Masasire the question has always been about which career path to pursue.

The Zimbabwe Under-19 cricket player, ex-Zimbabwe Under-18 rugby flyhalf and ex-Prince Edward School first team soccer player, last year turned down multiple offers from acclaimed sporting institutions.

The Hurungwe born protégée is currently on a rugby bursary at Dale College in South Africa.

He is however still a part of the Zimbabwe Under-19 cricket team and arrived back into the country last week to join the squad as they prepare for the Junior World Cup in August.

In soccer, he featured for the Tigers first team in his short lived soccer career.

The Windmill soccer tournament played during the second term of last year was the highlight of his soccer stint.

Masasire emerged as the tournament’s top goal scorer after netting 12 goals that helped Prince Edward reach the final of the annual tournament.

The school however went on lose that final 5-3 on penalties to rivals Churchill after an intensely fought goalless draw.

Nevertheless Masasire’s exploits in attack did not go unnoticed with Zimbabwe’s Premier Soccer League emerging force FC Platinum reportedly approaching the teenager in a bid to sign him into their junior team.

“FC Platinum offered me a chance to play for their junior team,” Masasire says.

“But there was no way I could take the offer because I was also part of the national Under-19 cricket side,” he adds.

FC Platinum were not the only ones eyeing the 18-year-old, with reports also filtering through that Bloemfontein Celtic tried in vain to lure the rising star for a trial stint.

“I was tied up with rugby and cricket; I couldn’t go for those trials either,” he says.

Masasire’s all-round sporting attributes flourished in cricket as he became a potent player up the order in last year’s school cricket season, first for P.E and later on for the junior national cricket side.

The climax of his school’s career was arguably the St Georges Twenty20 tournament, where he averaged a striking rate of 231.

Selectors for Zimbabwe Under-19 cricket team quickly acquired his services for the Triangular tournament in South Africa late last year.

Zimbabwe’s performance during the South Africa tour was far from convincing with a disappointing loses against Pakistan Under-19 and SA provincial sides.

But that wasn’t the case for Masasire who put up an inspired individual performance.

The teenage sensation cracked two half centuries against a formidable Pakistan attack as he emerged as the best batsman on tour.

The former Tigers skipper was equally indomitable whenever he traded his cricket bat for his rugby boots.

After the heartbreak of being overlooked for selection in the Craven Week rugby festival bound Zimbabwe Under-19 rugby side, Masasire was later called up on the 11th hour to give speed and precision at Flyhalf.

“That was good tournament for me even though initially I had been overlooked for reasons best known to the selectors,” Masasire says.

Masasire - who was on the books of local cricket franchise Mashonaland Eagles last year- played a blinder at Craven Week with his kicking abilities quickly falling onto the radar of Sharks rugby club and Dale College.

Ultimately the Zimbabwe protégée choose Dale College over the Durban based Sharks rugby club.

“I turned down sharks because I wanted to continue with school. I choose Dale College and I have never regretted that decision” he says.

Just last weekend the former Tigers skipper was instrumental in the Kearsney Easter Festival for Dale College.

Disappointingly his rugby exploits have not seen him being called up into the Zimbabwe Under-20 rugby team that is currently in camp ahead of the Junior World Rugby Trophy tournament set for the United States in June.

To put the Young Sables lack of depth into perspective, the side was whitewashed by S.A provincial sides earlier this month and calling up in-form Masasire seems to be the natural thing to do.

http://www.dailynews.co.zw/index.php/sp ... rades.html

[eugene]

Why do we have so many teenage sensations and future stars but not any good players?

[bayhaus]

Why do we have so many teenage sensations and future stars but not any good players?

My thoughts exactly when I was reading this I thought to myself well after three years we wont hear about Luke we will her about another rising star...

[Jemisi]

Because it is easy to be a big fish in a small pond.