Born on August 8, 1990, at Harare Hospital, Nigel Mupurura has turned a humble beginning in Highfields into a lifelong mission: using cricket to inspire and guide Zimbabwe’s youth.
“I started playing cricket in Highfields,” he recalls. “That’s where it all began before I joined Takashinga Cricket Club.”
From those dusty neighborhood grounds, Mupurura’s talent quickly propelled him into professional cricket. His debut came in the 2011–2012 season for Southern Rocks in Masvingo Province. He later played for Mashonaland Eagles before returning to Southern Rocks. His journey even took him abroad to Australia, where he represented Koroit Cricket Club in Victoria.
“These are just some of the highlights of my journey,” he says humbly, with the modesty of someone who has never let accolades define him.
But Mupurura’s ambitions extend far beyond personal achievement. Witnessing the social challenges facing Zimbabwean youth—particularly drug abuse—he saw cricket as more than a sport; he saw it as a lifeline.
“The reason we started the academy was to help kids shape their future. Cricket, we believed, could be a hideout from drugs,” he explains.
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That vision led to the creation of Falcons Cricket Academy, co-founded with Kelvin Jena and managed by Ronald Tapera. Based in Harare, the academy caters to children aged three to sixteen, offering a curriculum that combines foundational cricket skills with modern coaching techniques.
“Our coaching is dynamic but grounded in the basics,” Mupurura says. “We classify our training by age group to ensure each child develops at the right pace.”
Despite his extensive experience as a player, Mupurura is refreshingly honest about his own coaching journey.
“I haven’t achieved much yet as a coach,” he admits. “I leave room to learn every day.”
Like many grassroots initiatives, Falcons Cricket Academy faces significant challenges. Chief among them is infrastructure.
“If we had modern facilities across the country—even in rural areas—we could unearth so much talent. Zimbabwe could become a cricket powerhouse,” he believes passionately.
Mupurura’s story is one of persistence, vision, and the belief that sport can transform lives. Through Falcons Cricket Academy, he is not only nurturing the next generation of cricketers but also building a pathway for youth to dream bigger, stay focused, and pursue excellence—both on and off the field.
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