Kondwani’s application turned down

Augustine Hwata Senior Sports Reporter
VETERAN pugilist Misheck Kondwani’s chance to contest for a continental belt has gone up in smoke after the Zimbabwe Boxing Control Board refused to sanction his crack at the vacant World Boxing Federation continental lightweight title in Uganda this month. Kondwani had been invited to challenge for the belt but Gilbert Munetsi, the secretary for the ZBBC, said they have turned down his application for a clearance.

“Misheck Kondwani had been invited to fight in Kampala, Uganda, on February 22 for the WBF African lightweight title.
“As a board we checked and saw that the belt was rightly vacant but they were anomalies in that the WBF has not sanctioned the fight because the promoters for this Uganda bill have not met certain conditions.

“So the governing WBF has not endorsed this bout and there is no way we could then allow Kondwani to fight for a belt that has not been sanctioned,” said Munetsi.
Last month, WBF president Howard Golberg also wrote to Zimbabwe warning them against the same Ugandan promoters after they had tried to rope in African Boxing Union welterweight champion Charles Manyuchi to fight in the same bill.

Manyuchi is currently preparing for the World Boxing Council inter-continental bout against Ghana’s Patrick Allotey scheduled for next month in Lusaka, Zambia.
Manyuchi’s bout is being promoted by Zambia’s Oriental Quarries Boxing stable and Munetsi said the WBC have given the greenlight for the welterweight fight to go ahead on March 15.

“It has also been confirmed that WBC vice-president Houicine Houichi will grace the tournament and will be in Zambia on March 13. The referees and judges have been named as Lilian Olero and Fredrick Ghartey, as well as the South African duo of Joseph Chaane and Silvia Mokaila,” said Munetsi.

Another exciting bout on the same night will see Zambia’s Cathrine Phiri trading leather with Pia Mazelanik of Germany in a women’s bantamweight title while three other Zimbabweans — Monalisa Sibanda, Chamunorwa Gonorenda and Takudzwa Kuchocha — will be involved in supporting bouts.