CHIYANGWA EYES REDEMPTION: Bulawayo boxer handed national title shot after narrow SA defeat

Lovemore Dube

BULAWAYO pugilist Lawrence Chiyangwa has been thrown a lifeline to redeem himself just days after losing his debut international fight in South Africa.

Chiyangwa went down on a split decision to Jared Hensberg in a four-round super middleweight bout at Emperors Palace under the Golden Gloves banner last Saturday. Despite the defeat, his team believes he showed enough grit and promise to bounce back stronger.

Now, the Lobengula Boxing Academy fighter has been given another chance to prove his mettle, this time on home soil. He is set to trade leather with Lazarus Sithole in a national title fight at the ‘Gloves On’ tournament, organised by the Charles Manyuchi and Deltaforce Boxing Academy, in Chivhu ON 1 November.

**Lawrence Chiyangwa (second from left) and trainer Anderson Sibanda (right) with Zimbabweans based in South Africa**

His manager and trainer, Anderson Sibanda, said the team was optimistic and eager to grab the opportunity.
“Hoping we will get this one on,” said Sibanda, who was in Chiyangwa’s corner during the South Africa bout.

Sibanda said the narrow loss to Hensberg had fired up his boxer’s hunger to succeed. “Lawrence gave a good account of himself. Losing on a split decision in your debut international fight shows you’re not far off. We’re working hard to make sure we finish stronger in Chivhu.”

The upcoming fight could be Chiyangwa’s ticket to redemption and a statement that the young Bulawayo fighter is still a force to watch in Zimbabwean boxing.