Zim fail to send team

Gilbert Munetsi
ZIMBABWE has failed to send a boxing team to the Zone 4 Games, which begin in Maputo today, prompting an individual club to sacrifice their resources to make an appearance.

Ten countries are expected at the regional competitions and despite the Zimbabwe Boxing Federation having hosted a selective tournament at Sizinda Beer Gardens a week ago, where 15 pugilists made it into the national team, logistical bungling have resulted in the failure by the country to send the team.

ZBF secretary-general Arvin Mathe confirmed they had failed to raise the $10 680 required for travel and board for the five-day sports extravaganza, which had confirmations from South Africa, Angola, Zambia, Lesotho, Botswana, the Comoros and the hosts, Mozambique.

“We prepared all the paperwork for all our 2018 tours as way back as last year and on January 2, this year, I personally made a resubmission, only to be told at the last moment that we could not be assisted though we had been cleared by the SRC (Sport and Recreation Commission).”

Meanwhile, the amount of work and preparation put into the Games has prompted the Charles Manyuchi Sports Academy to use their resources for their eight boxers to travel to Mozambique.