‘Give us fights, sponsorship and see wonders’

Zimbabwe professional boxing has been on a slump with very few tournaments being organised. The competitions are too far apart and as such boxers have not been kept active.

Ndlovu, popularly known as Striker, is one of the longest serving boxing trainers in the country. He turned professional in 1976 and has spent every other day either at Tshaka Youth Centre or Barbourfields Stadium where he used to train the likes of the late Victor Ndebele and Sipho “Sweet Zuggi” Moyo.

He said he is longing for a day when Zimbabwe will produce the best boxers that did not only compete locally but internationally.

“My face actually glows when I get a call from the board, media, promoters and fellow trainers. But more often than not it’s usually courtesy calls of guys checking on what’s going on in my camp and how I am coping with life without any fights for boxers.

“It’s quite boring for someone who was used to big promotions in the city from the 1970s up to about 2005 when Blow by Blow Promotions stopped promoting the sport. Our boxers go for years without fights and we are in danger of losing them to other sports or other jobs,” said Striker.

He said Zimbabwe was generally a sporting country with so many options for the youths to choose from. Boxing, he said, could get back to where it used to be if there was sound sponsorship and aggressive promoters who would exploit the advertising opportunities it provides.

“Give us fights and sponsorship then boxing will be back on track. Without fights we will have champions staying at home with their belts like Thamsanqa Dube. When was the last time he defended his title? It’s over two years, that is not good at all for the sport, we need promoters to help our boys get fights.

“We want international matchmakers to be in a position to go onto the internet and read about our boxers’ records before they get them fights. But today they will not find much about Zimbabwean boxers and as a result our boxers do not get to fight outside the country,” said Striker.

Fighting locally, he said, would see the pugilists improve their rankings before they attract external attention.

“Admittedly home should be the stepping stone of greater things to come. At times the boys get fights when they are ring rust and subjected to long drives to Namibia which are energy and mentally sapping.

“We want to see our own promoters bringing international fights home so that the boys enjoy home advantage,” said the Tshaka Gym boxing gaffer.

He said boxing had a potential to advertise local companies’ brands. He said this could give life to the sport and individual boxers.

Striker noted that because of fewer fights and poor remuneration, the sport no longer had role models.

“In the past boxing was one of the most followed sporting disciplines. As youngsters in the 1960s and early 1970s, we read a lot about our local champions, saw them on television and companies through their products sponsored some of the boxers like Ringo Star with Kel77.

“Those were good times for the sport, so many youngsters wanted to emulate big names like Ringo and Kid Power including Kilimanjaro who was African heavyweight champion.

“Because there are no longer any role models, there are far too few boys who want to take up boxing because they have not seen examples of boxers earning a living from the sport,” said Striker.

He said soccer was far too attractive as it is all over the newspapers, radio stations and television.

“We are certainly losing some of our promising boxers to other sports like soccer, cricket and rugby. It is high time the corporate world and promoters support boxing”, Striker said.

At the height of Bulawayo professional boxing during Rampage Ring Promotions sponsored by Jeff Dube, boxers from the city held titles in the different categories and these were Ambrose Mlilo (middleweight), the late Fred Chisora (light middleweight) and Sipho Moyo in the super middleweight division.

The heavyweight number one contender at some stage was Tony Bollo Benson in the heavyweight division with Nokuthula Tshabangu in the flyweight.

“That is for the archives. In Ntando Sibanda, Meluleki Ngulube, Trevor Mpofu and Martin Tshuma I have boxers who can emulate yesteryear greats like Ambrose Mlilo, Ringo Star, Kid Power, Trust Ndlovu and Tshabangu.

“For them to achieve their dreams they need employers, sponsors and better equipped Tshaka Gym. They have the passion and commitment to go all the way to stardom but the environment has to be conducive,” said Striker.

Patrick Mukondiwa of the Zimbabwe Board of Wrestling and Boxing Control does not buy into the assertion that boxing is a dying sport.

“There is a lot of talent out there that has to be taken to the ring. Boxers need fights and many of them for that matter so that they can polish up their skills for the world market,” said Mukondiwa recently.