admin
CHARLES MANYUCHI’s latest sensational victory over favoured Russian boxer Dmitry Mikhaylenko last Friday night sent shockwaves around the boxing world and thrust the Zimbabwean boxer into an exclusive club of pound-for-pound superstars, who can fight for the right to be called world champion.
The 27-year-old Manyuchi became the first boxer to hand the Russian his first defeat, in the professional ranks, and that this was delivered in Mikhaylenko’s home country, before 27 000 fans supporting their countryman, made our athlete’s achievements even more special.
In those 12 rounds, Manyuchi showed the remarkable resilience that has made Zimbabweans, wherever they are in the world today, such a special breed of people, men and women whose never-say-die attitude toppled a powerful racist colonial regime and who remain standing today, despite everything that the cruel world, ruled by white men, has thrown at us.
Men and women who just don’t accept defeat, no matter the odds staked against them, and in silencing those 27 000 Russian voices, with a performance that was rich in quality and long on determination, with Manyuchi winning the fight on all the three referees’ cards, our sporting hero showed why we are such a special breed of people.
Manyuchi is the latest, in a long line of boxers from this country who have distinguished themselves on the big stage, with the legendary Langton “Schoolboy” Tinago winning the Commonwealth boxing title three times, the late Proud Kilimanjaro Chinembiri being crowned African champion, and being handed a chance to fight for the world title before complications destroyed his dream, and Arifonso Zvenyika winning the Commonwealth title twice.
But, according to experts, Manyuchi could prove the finest of them all, a humble athlete who, if given the necessary support, could even become the first world boxing champion to emerge from this country and, in the process, turn himself into a money-making machine in an era where the elite boxers in his category now fight for millions of dollars.
His manager Chris Malunga said they have a five-year plan to turn Manyuchi into the world’s best, when it comes to welterweight boxing and, so far, everything is on course with our boxer having won the coveted silver belt, which was in the past held by British boxer Amir Khan, to announce his arrival on the grand stage.
But, for Manyuchi’s dreams to come true, he needs support, and a lot of it, from our corporate entities because, as Malunga told us, this is a very expensive adventure and the time has now come for the big boys on our Stock Exchange to come on board and support this mega initiative to create a world champion that will make every Zimbabwean very proud.
The Government showed its appreciation of what Manyuchi is doing for this country, flying our flag high and writing success stories about our country, with President Mugabe giving him $50 000 as a token of appreciation when he won the international belt.
But now it’s time for the big companies of this country; those blue-chip firms that call themselves Zimbabwean companies, to also play their part and partner this humble Zimbabwean as he battles, with the help of his Zambian promoters, to become the first world boxing champion that we have produced in this country.
We have already seen Econet Wireless go into partnership with our swimming golden girl, Kirsty Coventry, whom we see on the company’s billboards, and our rugby superstar, Tendai “The Beast” Mtawarira, and maybe the time has also come for them to also partner Manyuchi and help him realise his dream of becoming a world champion.
We have seen NetOne going into an aggressive marketing campaign, in recent months, as the company tries to position itself as a leading player in its business. Now there are some new corporate leaders at the firm, who don’t believe that it should be business as usual, and we hear that they are on the verge of striking a partnership with ZIFA where they will come in as the Association’s corporate partner.
Maybe those who are making decisions, in terms of where NetOne can invest in this marketing drive, should also consider Manyuchi, because he is a brand that can be relied upon, a brand that is loved by the people of this country and those in Zambia who believe that he is their adopted son, and — unlike many successful sportspersons — the boxer doesn’t come with an attachment of controversy.
A humble family man, who is never in the news for the wrong reasons, Manyuchi is every marketing agent’s dream. His clean-cut image is just what every company wants; from those who sell their products and his growing popularity, among the people of this country. He is just what the doctor would have ordered.
We have a grand opportunity to produce a world champion, but that will need more than Manyuchi’s exceptional fighting skills, but the support from local companies for that to become a reality; and we all have a unique opportunity, working together as a united country, to create a world champion that we will all be proud of.
If Amir Khan took home $13 million for his six-round show against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in Las Vegas on Monday morning, surely why can’t we create our money-making machine in Manyuchi, an athlete who has shown that he can go all the way in his chosen field?
Online Reporter