Boxers to trade leather in Chivhu

Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
BUDDING pugilists from the country’s 10 provinces will converge in Chivhu next month to trade leather at this year’s edition of the Zimbabwe Amateur Boxing Association (Zaba) National Championships.

The tournament, which is used to select promising boxers for future national teams, will be held on October 31. After missing out on the ongoing African Games in Congo Brazzaville, Zaba intend to nurture budding fighters that will compete at next year’s African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Under-20 Youth Games set for Angola.

Senior national amateur boxing coach Mphilisi Moyo said they had decided to move away from handpicking boxers for major events because it stifled development of the sport.

“We’ve been monitoring some boxers for a while and this is the time to identify boxers we can develop for future national team assignments. I believe the first step is to ensure that we’ve proper junior teams that can fly the country’s flag high at next year’s AUSC Under-20 Youth Games,” said Moyo.

“As Zaba, we’ve moved away from a situation where boxers are handpicked based on past experience, meaning that everyone who attends the national championships will have an equal chance to prove their worth to selectors.”

He said those that would be shortlisted for national teams will go into periodical training camps to improve their boxing skills.

Moyo, who is also the acting Zaba technical director, said Matabeleland North Province will hold a final preparatory tournament for the Chivhu meet in Victoria Falls on October 10.

“Provinces are already conducting their selection tournaments and Matabeleland North will have its competition next month at the launch of a new boxing club in Victoria Falls. I think we’re going to have a good tournament in Chivhu because all provinces are eager to contribute a significant number of boxers to the national team,” said Moyo.

Pugilists that have attracted the attention of national team coaches include welterweight boxers Future Maziya of Hwange, Brighton Masiyambumbi of Bulawayo’s Nketa Boxing Club and the Midlands duo of Prince Carter and Liberty Muneri.

Trade Nkomozabo of Masvingo, who won gold at the 2014 Zimbabwe National Youth Games and fights in the flyweight division, has a chance to be selected for Team Zimbabwe alongside Lobengula’s Wiseman Tshuma.

Zaba has also been monitoring the progress of Brendon Dennis of Mashonaland East as well as the Zimbabwe National Army’s Ndodana Moyo and Prosper Shumba.

A number of Bulawayo-based pugilists expected at the national team selection tournament are Lancelot Moyo, Edson Mapeku, Shadreck Machaya, Godknows Sithole, Samson Masiyambumbi and Assurance Moyo.

Bulawayo will draw its representatives from Sizinda, Nketa, Nkulumane, Tshaka Youth Centre and Lobengula where they have been training without any competitive fights.

Last Magare, Josphat Mufai and Ndodana Moyo are some of the boxers expected to lead the ZNA team at the championships.