adminThe tournament, which is being organised by Black Fist Promotions, has been slated for 11 February at the Harare International Conference Centre and will be held in remembrance of the late former national middleweight champion Gilbert “Giro” Josamu.
Josamu, a colourful and charismatic boxer, died on 23 June, 2001, at his family home in Harare’s high density suburb of Mbare after succumbing to Aids-related complications.
In fact, Josamu, who was 44 at the time of his death, was one of the first sports personalities in this country to go public about his HIV/Aids status.
In November 2000, Josamu stunned the local boxing world when he revealed that he had fought many fights with forged medical reports.
He had tested HIV positive in July 1986.
But Josamu later succumbed to this deadly disease in 2001, when he collapsed and died with a career record of 36-31-5.
Josamu is also credited for grooming Arifonso “Mosquito” Zvenyika, who hailed from the same suburb of Mbare and went on to become a two-time Commonwealth flyweight champion.
And Josamu’s young brother, Abel, who is now a boxing promoter and match-maker under Black Fist Promotions, said yesterday that they were going to stage a memorial tournament for the late former national middleweight champion next month.
“Gilbert Josamu was one of the most talented fighters to emerge from this country after Independence, there’s no doubt about it, and we saw it fit to stage a memorial tournament for him.
“We have proposed 11 February as the date for this tournament which is likely to be staged at the HICC and we are going to have a six-bout bill and a fashion show on that day,” Abel said.
The main bout on this bill would be a 12-round national lightweight title fight between Misheck Kondwane and Dumezile Mtulike.
In other fights lined-up for that day, Tawanda Kachigwada will take on Trymore Musira in a super-featherweight eight-round non-title bout while Bensterin Mateu will trade leather with Batanai Ruwizhu in a six-round super-bantamweight contest.
The Mateu-Ruwizhu fight is also a non-title bout.
Three other non-title fights have been pencilled in for the 11 February bill and they will see Tinashe Mwadziwana taking on Lovewell Maphosa (bantamweight), Silas Mandeya coming up against Martin Tshuma (junior welterweight) and Ronnie Tamani facing Lynos Murabwa (featherweight).
All these three bouts will be over six rounds.
“In fact, we are going to have three boxers from Bulawayo who are going to feature on this bill and I think their presence is going to make it a very exciting tournament,” Abel said.
Online Reporter