Online Reporter
Langton Nyakwenda-Zimpapers Sports Hub
IN a first of its kind, Zimbabwe will host a mega-boxing tournament that will attract 40 pugilists from across the region.
Dubbed “The Trabablas Gloves On Tournament”, the massive boxing event will be staged at Phil Jen Country Lodges in the Mashonaland East town of Chivhu on November 1.
The Charles Manyuchi Boxing Academy is promoting this 20-bout tournament, which will also honour the achievements made by President Mnangagwa in the Second Republic.
The build-up to the tournament kicked off yesterday following the launch held at the Zimbabwe National Wrestling and Boxing Control Board offices at the National Sports Stadium.
“This is the first of its kind, 20 bouts in one night, and several boxers from different countries, including DR Congo, Malawi and Zambia,” said Charles Manyuchi of Manyuchi Boxing Academy.
The former World Boxing Council Silver welterweight champion is also now into boxing promotion.
He also intends to build a boxing academy in Chivhu. A spokesperson for the Charles Manyuchi Boxing Academy, Constance Muchoni, said hosting of the inaugural Trabablas boxing tournament in Chivhu was part of deliberate efforts to decentralise sporting events.
“This is the first of its kind here in Zimbabwe, and we are going to be having it in Chivhu as part of our decentralisation efforts.
“The Trabablas tournament will be held in all 10 provinces, but the first one is in Mashonaland East.
“It is a regional tournament where we are having boxers coming in from across the region, notably from Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“The Trabablas tournament is an initiative that we came up with in addition to augmenting the efforts of the Boxing Board, along with the Minister of Sports, Arts and Recreation, in trying to promote boxers as part of the national vision of fighting drug abuse, where we are saying, through this initiative, through sport itself, we are encouraging youth to get into boxing as a means of giving them a source of livelihood,” added Muchoni.
Some of the boxers who will fight in Chivhu include former Africa Boxing Union Lightweight champion Aliyah Phiri. The Trabablas tournament launch was also graced by Zanu PF Mashonaland East Political Commissar Lincoln Matare who called for more government recognition of boxing champions.
“We have a number of former boxing champions who have nothing to show.
“This doesn’t inspire upcoming boxers who want to take the sport as a career,” said Matare.
Manyuchi has been pushing to establish a boxing academy in Chivhu but the process has been delayed by some administrative issues.
