Born on November 5 1993 without any disabilities, Buleya had only four years to live with both legs before being involved in a horrific car accident that resulted in one of his leg being amputated at Parirenyatwa Hospital.
After that heart-breaking accident, Buleya went on to lose both parents; his mother in 2001 and his father a year later. The death of his parents left Buleya with the responsibility of looking after his sister who is now in grade five.
Despite all these setbacks, Buleya has not been moved as he has proved that he is the second best wheelchair tennis player in the Harare region. Like most wheelchair tennis players, Buleya was brought to the fold by Alex Mkandla, a veteran wheelchair tennis coach.
“I got into a wheelchair when I started playing tennis, otherwise I had never sat in a wheel chair in my life,” he said. “It took some time for me to get used to it but now I am an expert user of the machine. I call upon any good player to challenge me because I can confirm that wheel chair tennis is my best sport,” said Buleya.
Buleya has participated in the Chibuku Games where he only lost to Brian Mafuvise who is the wheel chair tennis champion in the Northern Region juniors category.
He also took part in the Danhiko Games where he came second after losing to the same player and came third in the Zim Open that was held in Bulawayo.
The number two wheelchair junior tennis player has been sidelined from representing the country in a number of international competitions due to none availability of travelling documents.
DANIEL BULEYA HAD THE REASONS TO SMILE
A few weeks ago, he had a reason to smile after Pamhidzai Mhanagara, a woman of distinction who is always available for orphans made sure that the boy got a passport. Mhanagara is the brains behind Blessings, an orphanage home based in Harare.
But there is something that worries the new wheelchair tennis champion very much. The boy stays with his elderly grandmother who is not in a position to fend for the two siblings and in particular sourcing tennis equipment and attire for the new junior champion.
“I always feel embarrassed when I go for bigger tournaments. My colleagues will be wearing nice attire but I have no one to buy those nice things that are supposed to motivate me to win matches,” he added.
Commenting on the progress that Buleya is enjoying, Mkandla said the boy was promising. “We are assured of a great wheelchair tennis star in the mould of Nyasha Mharakurwa. If maximum effort is put in place, this boy is not going to disappoint us at all. He has the ability to learn fast,” Mkandla said.
As the second best player in the country, Buleya is now eligible to represent the country in international matches that are lined up in the near future.