…City of Mutare targets building modern sports complexes in all wards

Ngoni Dapira

One ring, 16 bouts, 10 female boxers and 22 male boxers, but only one will stand as the victor in the ring.

It’s all set and ready to go for the inaugural Pride of Mutare International Boxing Tournament at Mutare Sports Club today (Saturday). The tournament has been sanctioned by the Zimbabwe National Boxing and Wrestling Control Board.

The press conference before the weigh in yesterday at Mutare Hall.

Organised by the Charles Manyuchi Boxing Academy in collaboration with Mutare City Council, the international boxing tournament is a first of its kind in the eastern border city. During the weigh in of boxers yesterday at Mutare Hall, the Charles Manyuchi Boxing Academy marketing director Trisha Kabongo said the boxers participating were from Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They will contend in various weight divisions, making it truly an international spectacle.

“This tournament is not only a competition but also about promoting sport, youth empowerment also creating opportunities through boxing as we create linkages with boxers from Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, the DRC and Malawi,” said Kabongo.

Some of the boxers following proceedings at the weigh in.

She added that apart from their pinnacle sponsor, the City of Mutare municipality, sponsorship also came from renowned businessman cum politician Dr Kudakwashe Tagwirei and boxing authorities.

The live boxing matches start at 4pm. The boxing ring will be set up in the rugby field at the club and there will be barricades set up to demarcate the VVIP, VIP and general public areas. There will also be entertainment from Jah Signal of the Shinga muroora (Sweetie) chart buster and other local supporting acts.

Jah Signal

“Pre-tickets will go for $1 for children and $2 for adults but at the gate the tickets will go for $3. The tickets are being sold at City of Mutare and through council vendors at Meikles Park. VIP tickets are $10 whilst VVIP tickets are $20. Mutare please show up in numbers. Tell a friend to tell a friend to make this event successful,” said Kabongo.

(black jacket) Former African Boxing Union (ABU) welterweight champion (2013) and World Boxing Council (WBC) International welterweight champion (2014) Charles Manyuchi follows proceedings at the weigh in.

At the weigh in, the 16 contenders got weighed for their division and faced off in preparation for today’s showdown. There will be three title fights and the major highlight will definitely be the featherweight division fight pitting Zimbabwe’s three-time African super bantamweight champion Hassan Milanzi and Malawi’s Yamikani Mtambo, whilst in the women’s supper middle division the fight set against Zimbabwe’s Emily Kubwalo and Zambia’s Lolita Muzeya will also be a major highlight.

In the women’s supper middle division the fight between Zimbabwe’s Emily Kubwalo and Zambia’s Lolita Muzeya (black skintight) will also be a major highlight.

Speaking on behalf of the City of Mutare town clerk Blessing Chafesuka, the legal manager Lonely Tauya declared that Mutare is no longer a spectator in the sporting field. He said that as a local authority they are using sports promotion to combat the drug and substance abuse scourge.

“For too many years we left our sporting facilities lag behind and we have seen the consequences of idleness on our streets where too many of our talented young men and women have fallen victims to drug and substance abuse. As a local authority we have taken a firm stance and we are fighting back. We are using sport as our shield. We started small but we are actively strengthening our municipal sports budget because we know that an investment in sport is a direct investment in the health, discipline and future of our youth,” said the town clerk.

He added that the municipality intends to build modern sports complexes in all wards to help nurture sporting talent in youths and keep them active to avoid taking illegal drugs.

“We understand that world class athletes are not born overnight but are forged in world class facilities. Our strategic infrastructure development plan is to turn Mutare into a regional sports hub. We are systematically investing in our sporting facilities. We have already completed extensive renovations at Sakubva Stadium and Sakubva swimming pool and our contractors are currently finalizing the Sakubva tennis courts and other sporting facilities. Our ultimate target is to build state of the art multipurpose sports complexes across all wards,” said Chafesuka.

Zimbabwe’s three time African super bantamweight champion Hassan ‘Starboy’ Milanzi (right) and Malawi’s Yamikani Mtambo (left) will be the major fight of the night.

The Zimbabwe National Boxing and Wrestling Control Board Manicaland provincial coordinator Clayton Msindo said such tournaments help identify talent and promote sports like boxing that is not known much compared to sports like soccer.

World Boxing Federation (WBF) president Howard Goldberg who is from South Africa said Zimbabwe deserves a higher place of recognition in world boxing.

“Hopefully with the support of government, trainers and boxers you will get there. It’s not an easy sport as it requires a lot of dedication, hard work and commitment but if we work together we can take Zimbabwean boxing to higher levels and put Zimbabwe on the world international stage where it belongs,” said Goldberg.

Top international boxing referee Riaan Janse Van Rensbug from South Africa also flew in to officiate the tournament.