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Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter
IT’S harvest time for Kudakwashe “Take Money” Chiwandire.
The World Boxing Council super-bantamweight interim champion hasn’t laboured in vain this time around.
Exactly eight months after pocketing around a mere US$1 000 purse which was wiped by expenses, for wrestling the belt from Zambia’s Catherine Phiri, the Zimbabwean pugilist has made 74 times that amount.
This follows her successful title defence against Zulina Munoz of Mexico at the Harare International Conference Centre two weeks ago.
Chiwandire has already received her US$20 000 purse money from the Government.
And on Monday, she also got US$2 000 from leading South Africa-based repatriation concern Zororo Phumulani, which is powered by Doves Zimbabwe.
In fact, Chiwandire had been promised US$1 000 for a win by the entity.
But at the handover ceremony held in the capital on Monday, she got a pleasant surprise as Doves Zimbabwe announced they had decided to add another US$1 000 on top.
Chiwandire saluted the entity for honouring her.
“I can’t thank them enough. I was expecting to get the US$1 000 which had been promised for a win by Zororo Phumulani.
“That alone is a humbling gesture. It makes one try to achieve more. But then to get double the promised amount made me feel very important,” said Chiwandire.
“I can’t stop thanking Zororo Phumulani and Doves Zimbabwe. It feels good just to know there are corporates out there who think about your welfare.
“I had been used to working hard, winning fights and getting literary nothing but just emotional satisfaction.
“But, to have companies such as Zororo Phumulani and Doves coming on board and encourage me to fight on, makes me feel very happy.
“They have done a good thing and I really appreciate it. I am someone who is coming from being a nothing into a WBC interim champion. That means every support that comes my way is deeply appreciated. I give my humble bow to Zororo Phumulani and Doves for this gesture.”
It is not the first time that Zororo Phumulani, which is powered by Doves Zimbabwe, have helped Chiwandire.
The pugilist was about to embark on her journey for the initial shot on the WBC interim title in Zambia by road back in February.
For her, nothing was amiss as what she, together with her coach/manager Clyde Musonda, wanted was a chance to win a WBC belt for the country.
But after getting it from the media, Zororo Phumulani sought to chip in.
They bought the tickets to fly the two to Lusaka, Zambia, where Chiwandire would inscribe her name into the boxing folklore, silencing a packed Lusaka Government Complex with a Unanimous points Decision win against Phiri.
The same company also rolled a red-carpet reception for the fighter when she camped in South Africa in preparation for the fight against Munoz back in August.
They even brought Zimbabwean football legends based in South Africa together, including Edelbert Dinha and Innocent Chikoya, to pep-talk her ahead of the battle.
Chiwandire also got a chance to watch one of South Africa’s biggest football matches pitting Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium. Doves Zimbabwe and Zororo Phumulani have since promised more support for the highest-ranked female boxer in Africa.
Online Reporter