New Victoria Falls boxing arena to promote sports tourism

A DREAM to catapult boxing to international level through access to world-class standard facilities has come true in Victoria Falls with the opening of a state-of-the-art boxing arena spearheaded by local trainer Tobias Mupfuti.

Mupfuti founded Victoria Falls Boxing Club four years ago and was renting a hall where he put a hired ring to host tournaments in the Victoria Falls industrial area.

Prior to that Mupfuti had been holding training sessions under trees and the opening of the academy has brought new life to boxing and will put the resort city on the world map.

While the idea of an academy is not new as Mupfuti had been training boxers but from rented premises, the opening of the new premises will promote sport tourism in Victoria Falls.

Last year he started constructing a boxing arena in Chinotimba and the facility was commissioned on Saturday by veteran boxing promoter Stalin Mau Mau who was guest of honour.

A cross-section of the tourism and business community in Victoria Falls attended the historic occasion.
Mupfuti partnered with some local operators including Blessing Munyenyiwa of Love for Africa and international sponsors, notably Kris Hall, an American national who was at the launch and is the financial muscle of the project.

The facility is a multi-purpose place with a fully furnished gym with different kind of equipment which will see it being the best gym in Victoria Falls.

It has a boxing ring fully equipped with all boxing kit.
There is a big space to accommodate hundreds of boxing fans during tournaments although there are no sitting facilities but has a top sitting deck on the top floor which will be used as a VIP.

The gym is already open to the public and some have joined as members.
The boxing academy also has an orphanage where Mupfuti is taking care of orphaned children, some of whom he trains in boxing.

It has a private training room where people can also meditate or have yoga events.
Mau Mau said the academy will help grow the sport as well as enhance sports tourism.

“We are here at this historic occasion to open one of the biggest gyms in Victoria Falls. This is not an easy achievement on the part of Tobias and is extremely significant to the development of boxing as a sport.

“At the moment things had slowed down significantly and I hope this is going to inspire the boxing fraternity to do more and resuscitate the sport from the long slumber it has experienced in the past year or so where there has not been any local tournament due to economic meltdown and cost of holding tournaments,” said Mau Mau.

He said boxing was still big but needs sponsorship.
Mau Mau said Victoria Falls is going to be a boxing destination.

“This will inspire the boxing fraternity. This comes at the right time for developing sport in Victoria Falls, remember there is a Government policy linking sport with tourism and Victoria Falls should be one of those destinations for sport development,” he said.

Hall, who ventured into boxing after the death of her husband in 2016 said she was excited to invest.
She used money from her late husband’s pension to sponsor the project as she loves the sport and to help disadvantaged children to stay out of drugs.

“So I love boxing and when I found out that Tobias loves boxing I was there to assist. It was in April last year and here we are, the gym is built.

I am super excited for phase two to come around and this whole project to me is for changing the lives of kids to have a home. The gym should be able to self-sustain and support children in the community

“I think it’s going to attract people to come here and work out, this should be the place to be,” said Hall.
Munyenyiwa said the boxing academy was a huge development for Victoria Falls.
This is the best boxing gym between Harare and Victoria Falls, he said.
— @ncubeleon.