Boxing bill set for Palace Hotel

BOXING action will return to Bulawayo with a bill set for Palace Hotel on Africa Day.

The tournament will be hosted by Palace Hotel in conjunction with the Zimbabwe Boxing Federation (ZBF).

ZBF technical director Steven Masiyambumbi said preparations for the tournament are on course.

“Our preparations for the event are well on course. We aim to give our boxers as much action so that we prime them to be always ready for competition,” said Masiyambumbi.

In the Africa Day tourney, there will boxers from the Zimbabwe National Army, Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services, the Air Force of Zimbabwe, local boxing clubs like Tshaka and Nketa as well as others dotted around the city’s western suburbs are expected for the tournament.

Traditionally, the security forces, particularly the Zimbabwe National Army have the largest pool of amateur boxers given the number of boxing clubs within military barracks that are well resourced with equipment.

This will be the umpteenth time that the establishment will be hosting a boxing tournament in recent years, giving renewed hope to local boxing fans that the sport is still alive and well in Zimbabwe after years of stagnation.

Clubs from all the provinces that are expected to be part of the tournament include Black Rhinos, HQ 1 Brigade, 5 Brigade, Bulawayo Metropolitan, Prisons and Correctional Services, Air Force of Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, Harare, Midlands, Victoria Falls Boxing Academy, Manyuchi Boxing Academy, Masvingo, Gwanda and Hwange.-@innocentskizoe