Boxers to fight for national colours

Sports Reporter
CHIVHU will host the Zimbabwe Amateur Boxing Association (Zaba) National Championships set for 26 October. The Zaba technical director Petros Masiyambumbi said the competition will be used to select promising boxers for future national teams.“Next year we are going to have a lot of international amateur competitions and the Zaba National Championships set for the end of the month in Chivhu will be a perfect platform for our boxers to get ready for upcoming tournaments. We will be holding a lot of such competitions as we prepare for international tournaments.

“Since all provinces are coming for the championships, we will use this opportunity to identify boxers for future competitions,” said Masiyambumbi.

He said those who would be shortlisted for national teams will undergo periodical training camps to improve their skills. Masiyambumbi said the Chivhu bill would also be used to identify pugilists for next year’s Zone Six Games to be held in Zimbabwe.

“Boxing has always contributed lots of medals for our country at the Zone Six Games and since we are hosting the Games next year, we want to start the process of identifying our representatives now. We have been monitoring some boxers for a while and we believe that if we continue tracking them, we will not lose them.

I think we are going to witness some exciting bouts in Chivhu as every boxer wants to be part of the national teams,” Masiyambumbi said.
The Zaba boss said the boxers would come from the country’s 10 provinces with the Zimbabwe National Army also bringing their pugilists.

“Everything is ready for the championships and according to information coming from the provinces, they are all geared up for the competition. It is our hope that we are going to identify good boxers who will in future represent the country.

“We identified some boxers for the Zone Six Games at the Bulawayo National Youth Games and we hope to identify more in Chivhu,” said Masiyambumbi.

Bulawayo will draw its representatives from Sizinda, Nketa, Nkulumane, Tshaka and Lobengula. Last Magare, Josphat Mufai and Ndodana Moyo are some of the pugilists expected to lead the Zimbabwe National Army team.