adminNgoni Dapira
WORLD Boxing Council international welterweight champion, Charles Manyuchi, will grace the official opening of the National Youth Games on Sunday.
The 26-year-old boxing icon recently received $50 000 from President Mugabe during a banquet held in his honour at State House.
President Mugabe said Manyuchi’s achievements were a source of pride for the country and needed to be celebrated.
The President has, in the past, also honoured outstanding Zimbabwe sportspersons like Olympic swimming superstar, Kirsty Coventry and Comrades marathon champion, Steven Muzhingi.
Apart from the endowment from President Mugabe, Manyuchi has been showered with various gifts from several businesspeople and well-wishers since his return home after the Italy fight which include cars and housing stands.
Manyuchi’s publicist, Gilbert Munetsi, said apart from gracing the official opening of the ZNYG on Sunday, a special cocktail dinner would be held at the Golden Peacock Hotel tomorrow where an exclusive 10-minute video of his title-winning fight against the Italian WBC international champion, Gianlucca Frezza will be played for the first time in Mutare.
“The video will be flighted for the first time in Zimbabwe showing edited clips of his 10-minute fight in Italy against Frezza which he won in the sixth-round through a technical knockout.
“It will also allow privileged boxing fans in Mutare the opportunity to get autographs and socialise with the boxing icon.
“We have also agreed with his Zambian promoters, Oriental Quarries Boxing Promotions, to allow some local corporate players who want to sign deals with him as a brand ambassador to open negotiations with him.
“So the cocktail will be a prime opportunity to mingle with boxing icon,” said Munetsi who is also a former Boxing Control Board secretary and journalist who has travelled with Manyuchi extensively covering several of his fights out of the country.
Manyuchi is currently not only the WBC welterweight international champion, but the African Boxing Union welterweight champion and Zimbabwe National welterweight champion.
Manyuchi defended his title against challenger Frezza last month on July 18.
Manyuchi joins the bandwagon of Zimbabwe’s former boxing greats in placing Zimbabwe onto the world map in the boxing arena.
Some of Zimbabwe’s great boxing achievements include, the legendary Langton “Schoolboy” Tinago, a three-time Commonwealth boxing champion in the lightweight and super featherweight domain, Proud “Kilimanjaro” Chinembiri a former Africa Boxing Union heavyweight boxing champion, Stix Macloud another former African Boxing Union All-Africa bantamweight champion, Alfonso ‘Mosquito’ Zvenyika a Commonwealth flyweight champion and other boxing medallists that include Ezwell Ndlovu, Nokuthula Tshabangu and Duke Chinyadza.
On the other hand Manyuchi who is a product of the ZNYG is a four-time gold medallist having won the boxing medals during the years 2005 to 2008 as a Mashonaland East athlete.
He also wrote his history of being unconquerable after winning all his 33 amateur boxing fights before making inroads into being a professional champion.
Online Reporter