Andrew
Evelyn Matimbire
Sports Reporter
FORMER Commonwealth flyweight champion Arifonso Zvenyika was busy taking two young pugilists through their paces when The Sunday Mail Sport arrived at a Matapi Creche in Mbare, which he refers to as the Mosquito Boxing of Excellence.
The two boxers, a boy and a girl, were running back and forth on the smooth concrete floor before they put on their red gloves for a sparring session with the legendary boxer.
His general demeanour and how he related to his proteges are but a mere smidge of Zvenyika’s passion when it comes to inspiring the next generation of Zimbabwean boxers.
The only problem is that he feels he is not getting much support.
“I train over 15 youths here in Mbare, and I have also established other clubs in different areas in Harare,” said Zvenyika, whose nickname is Mosquito.
“Boxing is the sport of my life. I know a lot of people who have succeeded in life through boxing and that’s why I want to groom more boxers,” he said.
Zvenyika is convinced another Mosquito will emerge from his current group, with one boy in particular, Malvin Mapakiko, from Norton, having already made an impression on the man.
Mapakiko travels from Norton to Mbare daily to attend boxing lessons, and his commitment to the sport certainly has caught his trainer’s eye.
“Sometimes he fails to find bus fare and he misses sessions, and without money, there’s nothing much you can do,” said a worried Zvenyika.
The lack of training equipment seems to be also hampering Zvenyika’s efforts.
“Equipment for the gym remains a big problem,” he said.
He revealed that he sometimes has to buy food for some underprivileged kids who come for training.
However, Mosquito is determined to defy the odds and produce champions “who will fly the Zimbabwean flag, the same way I did”.
He focuses on youths who are struggling to remain in school and those who spend time on the streets.
“The kids I’m dealing with are underprivileged, and some are so poor that they are not even going to school.
“It is a huge drawback in that they don’t have bus fare, but really need a space like this to stay off the streets.
“Substance abuse has become endemic in Harare’s low-income areas, and Illicit drugs like ‘mutoriro’ have destroyed the kids.
“I’m training youths so that they don’t find time for drugs, and also want to help eradicate early marriages.
“I’ve been there myself, and it hurts me to see these young kids intoxicated, so I’m trying to find ways to stop them,” he said.
The ex-Commonwealth champion prohibits the boxers under his stable from fighting on the streets.
Despite having hogged the limelight with his success stories in the ring, Zvenyika’s life has been topsy-turvy, and it is probably this aspect that motivates him and pushes him to do more.
In the ring, he made history when he won the Commonwealth title after defeating Paul Weir in January 1998, but, out of it, Mosquito led a controversial life and was at one point jailed.
However, Zvenyika says he has sailed through every storm that has come his way, and this is what motivates him to give back and do more for boxing.
■ Twitter: @matimbireevelyn
Online Reporter