Zimbabwean martial arts champion Wilfred Mashaya has won four gold medals at the Scottish Open, strengthening his international record and delivering another sporting success for Zimbabwe.
Mashaya, widely known as the “Zim Ninja”, competed at the 2026 ICO Scottish Open at Easterhouse Sports Centre in Glasgow on 22 and 23 August. He secured gold medals in Traditional Weapons, Musical Weapons, Creative Weapons and Freestyle Weapons.
Competitors from across the United Kingdom and other countries took part in the tournament. Mashaya entered four weaponry categories and finished with gold in each event, completing a clean sweep in Glasgow.
His performance in Scotland comes less than a year after another successful international campaign. At the ICO Martial Arts World Championships in Wales in October 2025, Mashaya won two gold and two silver medals.
Success on the international circuit has also brought recognition at home. Mashaya recently received the People’s Choice Award at Zimbabwe’s Annual National Sports Awards after a public vote involving 15 shortlisted athletes.
Beyond competition, Mashaya has built a growing role in developing martial arts in Zimbabwe. Through the Zim Ninja Academy, he has trained young athletes while promoting disciplines including Kobudo and Ninjutsu.
That work produced another significant result at the 2025 ICO World Championships in Wales. Mashaya coached a Zimbabwean junior team of four boys and four girls, who collectively returned with 43 medals.
His coaching programme also uses martial arts to promote discipline among young people and encourage alternatives to drug and substance abuse. Since 2020, athletes trained by Mashaya have collectively secured more than 200 medals through international and virtual competitions.
Mashaya’s career has taken him to martial arts events and competitions across Africa, Europe and Asia. His record includes international titles in countries including England, Wales, India, Poland and Montenegro.
Recognition has extended beyond competition. Mashaya holds multiple black belts across different martial arts disciplines and has received honours from several international martial arts organisations.
Community development has also become an important part of his work. In 2021, Mashaya worked with Zimbabwe’s Sports and Recreation Commission and the government ministry responsible for sport to provide free self-defence training to women with disabilities and albinism.
His latest four-gold performance adds another achievement to a career that combines international competition, coaching and community development. It also brings greater visibility to Zimbabwean martial arts within a sporting landscape often dominated by football, cricket and athletics.
Mashaya thanked supporters who helped make his Scottish campaign possible, including Thaton Property, Coach Rambo, Mr Badzarigere and members of the Zim Ninja Academy.
Winning every category he entered in Glasgow strengthens Mashaya’s position on the international martial arts circuit. His success also demonstrates the ability of Zimbabwean athletes in less prominent sporting disciplines to compete successfully on the global stage.
Young athletes developing through the Zim Ninja Academy now have another international achievement to follow. Mashaya’s four gold medals in Glasgow provide further evidence that locally developed Zimbabwean martial arts talent can compete and win beyond the country’s borders.
