Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
WORLD Boxing Council super-bantamweight interim champion Kudakwashe Chiwandire’s dream of defending her title in front of her home supporters could go up in smoke if the promoter fails to raise enough money for the fight.
Chiwandire, who grabbed the prestigious crown on February 26 after defeating Catherine Phiri of Zambia, is billed to fight Mexican Zulina Munoz in Harare on Saturday.
But with three days left before the bill, fight promoter Delta Force Academy are yet to secure funds to stage the tournament.
By end of business hours yesterday, Delta Force Academy director Clyde Musonda had conceded that the fight can’t happen this weekend with the only option for Chiwandire to avoid losing her title without throwing a punch being securing funding.
“I was honest from the onset that I couldn’t do it alone and had been given hope by the Zimbabwe National Boxing and Wrestling Control Board (ZNBWCB) that the Government was coming on board. Right now, what is needed to save all this is to update the WBC and talk to the opponents once we’ve managed to source funds.
“We have to send proof that in asking for postponement of the competition we’ve paid the opponent and match officials’ flights, we’ve to pay fight sanctioning fees and also cater for other logistics so that we agree on a new date. The opponent is ready to fight so if something happens between today and say Thursday, then we can convince WBC to have the fight taking place in a week,” said Musonda.
The winner of the Chiwandire-Munoz bill will challenge for the gold title against the boxer who will emerge victorious from the October 15 set for Mexico featuring number one ranked Yeimi Yamleth Mercardo and Mariana Barby Juarez.
The 26-year-old Chiwandire, also known as Take Money has been in camp at a three-star hotel in Harare preparing for the fight courtesy of KGK Logistics who also bankrolled her two-week sparring camp in South Africa.
Musonda told our Harare Bureau that ZNBWCB chief executive, Lawrence Zimbudzana wrote to his academy saying they are waiting on a response from the Government.
The board made a request to Musonda to furnish him with some information needed to stage the tournament. — @ZililoR
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