Chronicle Editor
Nkosilathi Sibanda and Fungai Muderere
IN a show of confidence and honour to the city’s contribution to the sport of boxing, a leading sport promotion company Delta Force boxing academy will bring celebrity pugilists Charles Manyuchi and Kudakwashe ‘Take Money’ Chivandire to a boxing bill in Bulawayo in October.
The series of bouts being organised will be fought in a venue yet to be annnouned in what is already set to be a big event.
Manyuchi and Chivandire will lead the bill boxers from the city’s leading stables and others expected to feature are from from Hwange, Victoria Falls and Gwanda. This tournament signals a start to the revival of boxing.
Already coaches and boxers have been invited for the show with names set to be revealed in the coming weeks.
Delta Force Boxing Academy promoters engaged on a fact finding mission about the possibility of staging a boxing tournament in Bulawayo. Led by their chief executive officer Eric Kandiwa, the contingent toured various venues in the city as they sought to find a suitable place to host the grand event.
They assured all was set for local boxing enthusiasts to enjoy. “It was a fact finding mission. We are promising a massive event. After a massive stakeholders’ mission, we will have the final decision on the day we are going to have the fights here in Bulawayo. Venue wise, everything is pointing to the good,” said Kandiwa.
It was revealed that soon after the planned bouts in Bulawayo, there would be other fights in Hwange and Victoria Falls.
Kandiwa said they were compelled to organise matches in Bulawayo and other boxing centres in Matabeleland Provinces as these were places renowned for having sound boxing structures.
Kandiwa told Zimpapers Sports Hub that their academy had sealed a lucrative deal with international sports apparel manufacturer Ihsan Sports, worth over US$250 000 for the next three years. With the Ihsan Sports deal, it is understood that Delta Force would be the exclusive distributing partner for combat sports gear and equipment in the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) region.
The arrangement hinged on promoting budding boxers and have professionals get into the ring as a way of helping them use the sport as a means to earn a living.
Noteworthy, the academy has agreed on terms with top television broadcast channel, Zimpapers Television Network (ZTN), for a show called Friday Night Boxing.
On the show, local boxers and other bouts involving international pugilists, would be aired. Kandiwa said, going forward, they planned on an initiative to encourage boxers to take up vocational skills so as to help them acquire life skills.
“Boxers, just like every athlete, have to find ways to survive and make a living outside sport. As such, Delta Force Boxing Academy wants to develop that culture and have our boxers doing more than just fighting in order to eke out a living outside the ring as well,” said Kandiwa.
Clyde Musonda, the manager and promoter at Delta Force called on the boxing community in Bulawayo to support the cause.
“It is known countrywide that Bulawayo is the home of boxing. We urge the city’s residents and in particular boxing lovers to come in their numbers. As soon as we finalise the venue, we will announce more details. Help us make boxing in Bulawayo great again,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe National Boxing and Wrestling Control Board (ZNBWCB) said they are in full support of the upcoming tournament, with its Bulawayo Province co-ordinator Adelaide Gumbo happy about the prospect of a big boxing event.
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