adminLovemore Zigara Midlands Sports Correspondent
BOXING enthusiasts were treated to some good entertainment when 32 boxers exchanged leather in 16 bouts held at Mkoba Hall on Sunday night. Boxers were drawn from Mkoba Gweru, Gweru Mtapa, Redcliff Boxing Clubs as well as Shungu High School and were battling it out to represent the Midlands at a national boxing tournament to be held in Chiredzi at the weekend.
The Lowveld tournament will be used to select a team which will represent the country at the 11th African Championships to be held in Congo-Brazzaville.
Former Zimbabwe Youth Games gold medallist, Brilliant Tinago of Mtapa who was supposed to turn professional until the Zimbabwe Boxing Federation introduced professional boxing within its ranks was up against Tedious Madzivanyika of Mbizo in the lightweight division. It was a close fight in which the unheralded Madzivanyika matched his counterpart pound for pound. Tinago who is son to Zimbabwe boxing legend, Langton had to dig deep into his bag of tricks to win by a technical knockout.
This was after the referee stopped the fight when Madzivanyika was bleeding from the nose.
Arguably the best fight of the night pitted crowd favourite Dominic Maforimbo in the flyweight division with Ronald Tomukai of Mbizo.
Tomukai won by a split points decision much to the disappointment of the crowd which was rallying behind him.
Another pugilist who was also supposed to have turned professional, Partson Mutengwa made easy work of David Madhuba through a technical knockout in the first round.
Midlands Boxing Board secretary, Raymond Tamayi was impressed with the performance and was hopeful of the province acquitting itself well at the national tournament.
“I’m impressed with the level of competition which we witnessed today and I’m confident that we will do well at the national championships in Chiredzi,” he said.
Midlands team
Juniors: Arnold Gave , Ashngton Ziwaraya, Vimbo Moyo (Light flyweight), Munyaradzi Chumba (flyweight), Munashe Mutangiri.
(Bantamweight), Talkmore Phiri (Light flyweight), Limbikane Banda.
(Light flyweight), Tanaka Hamandishe (welterweight)
Seniors: Hassan Milanzi (Bantamweight), Ronald Tomukai (Flyweight),
Brilliant Tinago (Lightweight), Shepherd Sithole (Lightweight), Partson Mutengwa (Light welterweight), Ian Mahaso (Welterweight), Kudakwashe Chaurura (bantamweight)
Online Reporter