adminfighters to represent the nation conducting their final preparations in Harare.
The Games are scheduled to run from September 3 to18 in Maputo, Mozambique.
The three are Josphat Mufayi and the Masiyambumbi brothers – Steven and Foster. Mufayi will battle it out in the lightweilterweight while Foster will fight for honours in the bantamweight division. Steven will compete in the middleweight category.
The team has been in training since May when they took part in the Zone VI championships held in Botswana. The national association also had several competitions as part of their preparations. The spotlight will be on Mufayi after he won a bronze medal in the Zone Six championships as well as Steven who have been doing well in both on the national and regional level.
Zaba technical director Petros Masiyambumbi said he is satisfied with the progress they have made in preparing the team ahead of the Games.
“Our preparations are well advanced, we are making final touches and we have had some tournaments as part of our preparations and we will be getting into camp with the rest of the team on the 25th of August but for now I am satisfied with the way our preparations are going,” said Masiyambumbi.
Masiyambumbi expressed confidence in the team and said they know what to expect at the Games after competing with some of the teams at the Zone Six Championships.
“We are saying we have never prepared for these Games the way we did. In the past we were going to the Games without exposure and enough preparations. And without exposure and experience it is difficult to compete at such level. We were at the Zone VI Games in Botswana and after seeing the competition there it helped us on our preparations and most of the guys who were in Botswana will be taking part in Zone VI and we know what to expect.
“In the previous Games our fighters’ performance have been average because our major disadvantage was exposure.
“Wherever you go world-wide without similar exposure with those you are competing with it’s difficult to win,” said Masiyambumbi.
Masiyambumbi said they would have wanted to take a bigger team to increase their chances of winning medals but some of the fighters failed to meet the requirements by the Sports Commission.
“These three were the only boxers who met the criteria used by the Sports Commission although we would have wanted to take more fighters. Most of them did not have records of regional competitions,” said Masiyambumbi.
Online Reporter