adminGilbert Munetsi Sports Correspondent
FOCUS will not just be in the ring, but outside it, as three of the greatest pugilists to emerge from Zimbabwe field boxers from their stables in a potentially thrilling tournament at St Mary’s in Chitungwiza tonight.
The bill, made up of a 20-card fiesta, will be held at the Community Hall beginning at 8pm.
Arigoma Chiponda, Charles Manyuchi, Alfonso Zvenyika and Alexander Kwangwari — who etched a name for themselves and put the country on the sporting map — will show how good they can impart their skills when they field boxers they have groomed from their stables.
BoxAfrica, which is housed at Chiponda’s Powerhouse gym, Mosquito Boxing Club from Mbare, the Bees Manyuchi Boxing Club from Chivhu and the ZNA School of Physical Sport and Training are some of the stables taking part in an all-night boxing extravaganza that has all the makings of a thriller in the dormitory town.
A Namibian contingent of six boxers from the Mambo Academy is expected to show solidarity through their presence as part of the organisers’ long-term plan to forge sporting relations with their regional counterparts.
Nicknamed “The Master Blaster”, Chiponda in his heydays was the country’s light-heavyweight champion for a record 10 years, finding no one to dislodge him from the crown, until he went on to challenge for the upper heavyweight division.
He was to fall to the heavy punch of burly Bulawayo basher, Tamsanqa Dube, to whom he gave up the title, but not before an arm-long list of casualties had fallen from his venomous glove.
Today, the retired airman is a licenced trainer of an academy named BoxAfrica, situated in his home town of St Mary’s, which is also the co-host of tonight’s boxing fixture.
Like Mbare, Epworth, Mabvuku, Mzilikazi, this is home to many-a-good fighter of the likes of John “Boy Konde”, Simon Sankulani, Elisha Chigwada, Otis Manyuchi and the Sauti clan.
On the Mbare team’s corner will be Alfonso “Mosquito” Zvenyika, a boxer who gained fame for bringing home the Commonwealth flyweight title to Zimbabwe on two occasions, though a life of man-made misfortunes dampened the glory that came with that achievement.
And leading his young troops from Chivhu will be Charles Manyuchi, who is still fresh from first having swooped the African Boxing Union (ABU), and on three occasions, the World Boxing Council international welterweight title.
He is the reigning Sportsman and Sportsperson of the Year.
Kwangwari (the former Olympian) brings into the fold his boxers from the ASPTS and is a former administrator with the Zimbabwe National Boxing Control and Wrestling Control Board, decorated mentor and official in his own right.
One of the co-ordinators of the tournament, Issah Phiri, who is also the acting chairman of the Zimbabwe Boxing Federation, said there was a lot to look forward to in tonight’s tournament, and paid tribute to the quartet for not abandoning the sporting that earned them fame and fortune.
“This is the first in a series of similar tournaments we hope to organise in various parts of the country in our efforts to spread the game.
“It is also a grand opportunity for the national selectors to scout for talent for forthcoming assignments such as impending National Youth Games, the Zone V, the African Games and, of-course, the Olympic Games.
“It’s a fact that we have abundant boxing talent at our disposal and those days of our boxers migrating to neighbouring countries in search of fights should be over.
“We urge residents and other ardent boxing followers to come and render support to the event and witness the crème de la crème of boxing talent in a central locality.”
Chitungwiza Municipality, Hotel and Leisure Africa (HALA), Chitungwiza Press Club and the Sports Commission made the arrangements for the tournament possible.
Among the highlights of the night are Casper Mkandla (W48-L2), Sydney Baloyi (W20-L8), Philip Musariri (W17-L3) and Thulani Mupundu (W23-L3).
Online Reporter