Chronicle Editor
Nkosilathi Sibanda, Sports Reporter
EVERYTIME there is a boxing competition in Bulawayo, people go out in numbers to watch an exchange of jabs and uppercuts.
The last time was in February at Palace Hotel and a record crowd was in attendance. People just love boxing.
That love, however, soon turns into a long yearning as boxing does not happen so often. Competitions come after a long while, maybe once a month.
For a city that carries pride as being a powerhouse of the past, the situation hurts.
There are a number of boxing clubs and as many boxers but, few tournaments are organised. The sport has somehow turned into a pastime. Compared to other sports codes, boxing rates so low in terms of competitions and real development.
It is one sport left in the dark and boxers are seen as “extras” whose role is to keep the name of the sport and portray an image that it exists, even if there are no fights.
Without fights, there’s definitely no boxing to talk about. Amateur boxing is better, there are four to five fights in Bulawayo, around three in Victoria Falls and Beitbridge.
For the Southern Region, professional boxing has been on a slumber since 2012.
In Bulawayo there are more than 10 boxing clubs, in Matabeleland North only two are active. Matabeleland South has 13 clubs, two of them being high schools.
Prominent clubs in Bulawayo are Nketa, Lobengula, Young Arts, HQ 1 Brigade, Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services, Tshaka, Njube, Magwegwe, Bulawayo West, Sikhulile High School, Barbeton then Sizinda and Nkulumane.
Bulawayo Provincial co-ordinator for the Zimbabwe National Boxing and Wrestling Control Board (ZNBWCB), Adelaide Gumbo said these clubs have not been active for a while but, they were happy that some boxers are making an initiative to remain visible.
“It’s better after the Covid-19 era. Most boxers especially juniors and youth are now more active than before, this is because we have realised that we have to catch them young. It’s the only way and the best we can do to keep these kids out of the street, away from drugs. Boxing as a sport has that capacity.
“In Bulawayo we have Nketa, Lobengula, Young Arts, HQ 1Brigade, Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services, Tshaka, Njube, Magwegwe, Bulawayo West, Sikhulile High School, Barbeton, Sizinda and Nkulumane,” said Gumbo.
She said, that going forward they will engage schools in order to build structures at grassroots level.
“We have to get more sponsors coming on board and competitions at primary and secondary schools. We also want to engage the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation and the Sports and Recreation Commission in coming up with awards for these boxers,” she said.
The situation in Matabeleland North is a bit dire. There is nothing to write home about except the story of Hwange and Victoria Falls.
Notably, the vibrant Victoria Falls Boxing Academy is the most active.
Sport and Recreation Commission (SRC) in the province has been at the forefront of reviving boxing.
SRC co-ordinator for Matabeleland North Newman Masuku admits there is not much boxing to talk about in the province.
“Unlike in other provinces, boxing in Matabeleland North is behind. The sport is confined to three districts, that is Hwange, Victoria Falls and Binga.
“Only two clubs and an academy are active, namely Hwange, Pashu and Victoria Falls Academy. We need to introduce boxing in schools, train teachers to be coaches, referees and judges,” said Masuku.
He said the province’s biggest letdown was that other districts don’t have sound sporting structures.
“My observation is that most boxing associations are driven by teachers or former teachers. For us to say this or that sport association has a provincial structure, more than 50 percent of the districts must be affiliates.
“Matabeleland North has seven districts, meaning boxing must be in at least four of the seven districts but in this case, we are at 28 percent, which means technically we have no provincial structure. It negatively affects the growth of the sport as there are no regular tournaments across the province and the talent pool is restricted,” he said.
Victoria Falls Boxing Academy director Tobias Mupfuti weighed in and said young boxers wanted more bouts.
“There’s a lot of talent in Victoria Falls and surrounding areas. We are always pushing to get our boxers to participate in tournaments. Matabeleland North has a few of these but, that doesn’t deter us at all because we also go and fight in tournaments in other provinces. We really need to have more action,” said Mupfuti.
Matabeleland South boxing co-ordinator, Nkomo said the sport is growing in her province.
Her view is that in order to fully have competitive bouts, the first port of call was to train as many coaches and officials.
“I believe we can increase boxing competitions or general participation in boxing in Matabeleland South Province in a few steps. The first is developing coaching and officiating skills to ensure high-quality training and fair competitions by having certified coaches and officials.
“Secondly is the promotion of grassroots programmes such as introducing boxing to schools, community centres, and youth clubs to identify and nurture young talent. Talent identification is a great foundation that is why we have engaged the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education,” said Nkomo.
She identified the lack of resources as a huge setback.
“There’s a need to support local boxing clubs by providing resources and funding to existing clubs by local businesses and companies. This will help the clubs to grow and thrive. This can be achieved if there is support for boxing development programmes.
“From there, we have to host local, regional, and national competitions to give boxers opportunities to compete and gain experience. Matabeleland South is moving in that direction. It is a strategic move as it also gives key players in the sport a chance to network and develop each other. At provincial level, competitive leagues with teams from different districts, primary and secondary schools even tertiary institutions can also promote regular competition and rivalry and increase competition,” she said.
Nkomo said this year they planned to have as many tournaments as they aim to position Matabeleland South as a boxing powerhouse.
But for the professional boxing scene without promoters, boxers will eventually get frustrated out of the sport like former heavyweight champion Thamsanqa Dube.
-@NkosieLegend
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