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Tendai Mugabe Harare Bureau
WORLD Boxing Council welterweight bronze champion Charles Manyuchi, who recently defended his crown in Italy, yesterday realised his dream of meeting President Robert Mugabe who pledged to host a big bash for him at State House next Thursday. Manyuchi’s bronze crown is the third in the WBC pecking order after the gold and silver crowns currently held by pound for pound champion Flyod Mayweather Jr and Briton Amir Khan respectively.
President Mugabe met Manyuchi at his Munhumutapa Offices before he proceeded to chair Cabinet.
Also present at the meeting were Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko, acting Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Supa Mandiwanzira, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Misheck Sibanda and Sport, Arts and Culture deputy Minister Tabeth Kanengoni-Malinga.
An elated Manyuchi, who has been longing to meet President Mugabe, was at a loss for words and refused to say much in the President’s presence.
Even Manyuchi’s parents and his sponsors could not say anything when President Mugabe entered the room.
Realising the uneasiness, President Mugabe left everyone in stitches after teasing Manyuchi with a mock jab, saying that was how he greeted champions.
Said the President: “We’re coming from the First Lady’s birthday and there’s another one here . . . “Where is Manyuchi’s father and mother? Are you able to do what he does or it’s his talent alone?” joked the President.
After everyone was relaxed and settled, the President cracked another joke.
“I thought we should raise his (Manyuchi) status … not to a Cabinet minister, but to a champion of the country. A champion of Zimbabwe and Zambia,” he said.
“Mrs Manyuchi can you handle this? Some mothers don’t want to see their child being hit.”
President Mugabe said he was happy that Manyuchi had done the nation proud and the boxer was now a role model to many youngsters interested in boxing.
The President said he was also a boxing fan.
“On behalf of the government and in this particular case that leadership which government has (Cabinet)…may I say how pleased I was to hear that there was victory,” he said. “It was good news I never expected because I never knew him. I was never told that we have a champion who was going to fight an Italian.
“You have done us immense honour. We’re proud of you son of Zimbabwe and Zambia. You’re a model to others. Our people like boxing but at times they lack training. We don’t have gyms and so on.”
The President paid tribute to Manyuchi’s Zambian promoters, saying Zimbabwe and Zambia were Siamese twins.
As such, the President said, his Zambian counterpart President Edgar Lungu was going to open this year’s edition of the Harare Agricultural Show next month.
“President Lungu is coming. He is coming to open our Agricultural Show in August and also when we became independent, the anniversary match we had was with Zambia and they beat us. I remember them saying you play well but you lack experience.”
He said Zimbabwe only used to have hard boxing and it was in Bulawayo where the sport was largely promoted.
President Mugabe said there were some brilliant boxers, but they lacked proper training and at times could not last more than three rounds.
He later tasked Minister Mandiwanzira and deputy Minister Kanengoni-Malinga to organise Thursday’s bash, adding that they should also invite other boxers and boxing clubs in the country.
Manyuchi’s Zambian promoter Chris Malunga described how the boxer outclassed his challenger Gianluca Frezza.
He said they discovered that Frezza was weak on the lower part of the stomach and Manyuchi continuously punched him on that part.
“He (Manyuchi) continued hitting the stomach with a Zanu-PF punch and in round six the challenger said I don’t want,” Malunga said.
“He told the referee that he had had enough and Manyuchi was declared the winner by a technical knockout.”
Malunga said he would soon travel to China to bid for a fight with second category champion Amir Khan.
He said it was their wish to have President Mugabe attending one of their bouts’ promotions to which the President responded: “Especially the one versus the Briton.”
Manyuchi said: “I have nothing much to say otherwise, I may end up saying things that are off topic but I’m really overjoyed.
“It was my wish to meet the President. I have seen him meeting other people such as Kirsty Coventry and I thought I should also do the same,” he said.
Manyuchi’s father, Otis, bemoaned the lack of support by local boxing organisations.
He said although the country was facing financial challenges, it was important to give talented people moral support.
Otis, a former soldier and boxer, said Charles’ twin sister was also a boxer.
He said he used to discourage Charles from boxing, saying he wanted his son to pursue other business interests.
“I didn’t want him to join boxing but as you know with kids he always finds his way,” said Otis.
“After his fight in Namibia that is when I was called by his Zambian promoters saying we should work together and develop his talent.”
Otis, however, paid tribute to the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture for supporting his son upon his arrival from Italy.
Manyuchi has won 23 professional fights and has an amateur record of 37 wins.
He bagged four gold medals at the Youth games and is is now ranked number 20 in the world.
Minister Mandiwanzira said: “The young man is set for greater things as he sets eyes on the World Boxing Council silver championship and ultimately the world championship currently held by Amir Khan of Great Britain and Floyd Mayweather of the United States respectively.
“He has done us proud as a nation and he has also been a good ambassador.”
After the meeting, President Mugabe took Manyuchi to the Cabinet room where he greeted all Cabinet ministers who congratulated him for flying Zimbabwe’s flag high.
Online Reporter