Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls
BOXING champion Charles Manyuchi will be the guest of honour at the “Five Nations Boxing Friendly Championship” set for Victoria Falls on Saturday.
Manyuchi is the World Boxing Federation Middleweight champion and former World Boxing Council international welterweight champion.
“He is attending the event to support the Zimbabwe team in its quest to qualify for the Olympic Games and cheer junior boxers from Victoria Falls in their preparation for participation at the Youth Olympics,” said Victoria Falls Boxing Academy media liaison Christie Brookstein in a statement.
“We look forward to making the Five Nations Boxing Friendly Championship an annual event that will grow in scope and bring valuable sports tourism to Zimbabwe.”
Speaking earlier at the Victoria Falls Press Club, organisers said both females and males will take part in the tournament.
“There will be 10 boxers from each country, including juniors, and each team will bring along boxers, referee and officials. This is an opportunity for our boxers to get international fights and earn points. We are bringing glamour to the sport as well as enhancing sports tourism,” said chairperson of the boxing academy Danielle Connolly.
She said acting Chief Mvuthu is also expected to grace the event to welcome teams as a gesture of hospitality.
International assessors have inspected the venue and ring and okayed both, said Connolly.
The tournament will help boxers earn points that will enable them to qualify for the African Olympic Qualifiers, to be held in Senegal and for the Youth Olympic qualifiers.
Victoria Falls junior boxers Prince Urengwa and Personal Mpofu, the national pinweight and paperweight gold medalists are hoping to earn points for the Youth Olympics.
Some names from the Zimbabwe boxing stable expected to take part are Zibusiso Ncube, Farai Makombe, Ndodana Ncube and Monica Mkandla. Brookstein said the list will be finalised tomorrow and encouraged boxing lovers and members of the community to turn up in numbers and cheer the Zimbabwe team.
The brains behind Victoria Falls Boxing Academy Tobias Owen Muposiwa said hosting the tournament is ratification of commitment he and stakeholders had over the years with limited resources.
The academy will take care of transport, accommodation and food for all teams that are expected to start arriving tomorrow.
Winners in each bout will get gold medals, while overall juniors, male and female winners will get trophies. – @ncubeleon
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