Star trades basketball court for mike, ramp

FOXES shooting guard, Russel Matanhire, is using the Covid-19 induced break to finetune his music and modelling interests.

The 30-year old is a key member of coach Kelvin Ben’s charges.

Besides being a model, Matanhire is also an urban grooves artist, using stage name he uses in modelling, Trixstylez.

Known in the basketball circles as Juggernaut 14, Matanhire says he has chosen to be productive during this lengthy spell outside the basketball court.

“The lockdown got me thinking. How am I positioning myself to maximise on the opportunities this new normal has brought about?” said Matanhire.

“People are spending too much time complaining about the challenges this lockdown has brought so much that they are sadly oblivious to the buffet of opportunities that it presents.

“I have been deliberately creating new habits, and restructuring my thought patterns, for my benefit.

“I, just like all other sportspersons from different sport codes, am disappointed that things had to turn out the way they are now.

“But, in as much as we love playing sport week in, week out, we should appreciate that the decision to stop the league was the best for everyone.

“Sport is played by living people and it is not cheered by dead bodies. As Foxes, we had picked top-form by the time the league was halted.’’

He said he has been looking at perfecting his other skills.

“But, whilst there are so many challenges that come with being kept away from the basketball courts, and group training, I should say, for me, the break has helped me a lot,’’ he said.

“I am a musician and I sing Urban Grooves.

“I have been able to put together a lot of strategies and I have learnt a lot musicwise.

“I should say I have polished my act in this art and my next offering will be better.”

Matanhire is also a model and has been using the break to address some of his stage weaknesses.

“I have taken part in such events as Zimbabwe Fashion Week and I have taken my time to try and rectify errors which I have made in the past,’’ he said.

“There are so many things that I have been working on during this break.

“So, rather than seeing this necessary break in a negative way, I have chosen to be very positive.’’

Despite picking top-form, especially before the season was halted, Matanhire’s club had already fallen from the title race which is now between leaders Harare City Hornets as well as JBC and Raiders.

Matanhire said their poor start to the season was the reason they were sixth on the table.

“We had a poor start to the season. We lost a number of games which we were supposed to win,’’ he said.

“We only managed to put on a shift midway through the season but, by that time, we were already too far off our rivals.

“If the season is allowed to resume, well, we will push for a good finish but, to be honest, we disappointed ourselves.

“The 2019-2020 league title was winnable but we lost it in the initial stages.”

Foxes are awaiting a disciplinary hearing, in which they are being accused of having used an unregistered player, in their victory over City Hornets in December last year.