Boxing, wrestling board opens liaison offices

The Sunday News

By Sunday News Reporter

6 November 2013

THE Zimbabwe National Boxing and Wrestling Control Board has come up with provincial liaison offices that would be manned by selected individuals throughout the country’s nine provinces. Lorraine Muringi, the board’s vice-chairperson, said they had already appointed Gabriel Moyo as liaison officer for Bulawayo and that the appointment was with effect from 25 September.

She said the provincial coordinators would be appointed in all provinces besides Harare.

“We want to facilitate easy interaction with the boxers and also enable them to register easily with the provincial officers. We have already appointed the Bulawayo liaison officer Moyo and we are currently looking at others we can appoint in other provinces. We believe the positions are critical hence we need to appoint able and dedicated people who have a great passion for the sport,” said Muringi, adding that liaison officers for other provinces would be appointed in due course.

Meanwhile, some of the country’s former top boxers met in Bulawayo last Saturday as part of an initiative to revive the sport in the country.

The meeting was held at Tshaka Centre in Makokoba and was convened by Moyo.

The gathering came up with various ideas that have been forwarded to the board for consideration. The attendees agreed that they should go back to the drawing board and focus on the grassroots.

Among the participants were former Commonwealth champion, Alfonso “Mosquito” Zvenyika, Mordecai Donga, coach Philip “Striker” Ndlovu, Mandla Phuti, Thembani Nyoni, Morgan Maphosa and boxer Lawrence Gandanga.

The meeting was the first among several to be held countrywide to solicit views from stakeholders on how boxing can regain its lost glory. Zvenyika said there was need to create a strong link between the amateur side and the professional side of the sport.

He said in order to nurture good professional boxers the amateur side of the sport must be monitored so that it progresses well.

“We cannot work independent of each other but we have to complement our efforts so that we can groom boxers who can shine on the international stage,” he said.

Donga felt they had to start from the bottom and groom officials including judges, timekeepers and also have ring doctors to give the sport a touch of professionalism.

 “We call upon the Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture to give companies incentives to come on board and support boxing otherwise corporates will not find any reason to support the sport. We are in dire need of sponsors and that is the only way we can get them,” he said.

Moyo said transparency and accountability were needed for the sport to attract partners.

 “Despite boxers remitting money to the previous board, there was no accountability, with no financial audits being done so it was always a worry that money was not being accounted for properly,” he said.

Nyoni said teachers at school level had to be equipped with adequate training in both coaching and officiating to ensure boxers were groomed at a young age. He said although there had been talk of boxing being introduced in schools, there was little action in that regard with little being done to equip teachers.

While introducing the sport in schools would be a noble idea, Muringi said expensive equipment would prove a hindrance.

Muringi said the best development option would be to work through community centres where members of the community would contribute funds to the buying of equipment.

Registration fees would also be paid at the provincial officers instead of boxers and promoters having to go to Harare. Registration fees have been set at $25 for boxers, $50 for managers and $75 for promoters. Other practitioners such as trainers and medics are required to pay $25.

Earlier this year former Education, Sports, Arts and Culture minister, David Coltart appointed former radio sports commentator Paul Nenjerama, boxing promoters Lorraine Muringi and Dr Farai Muchena, as well as renowned boxing trainer Edgar Peter Hammond to the new board that will run the sport of boxing over the next three years.

The other new members of the board are Gilbert Munetsi, Tsitsi Muzuva, Alexander Kwangwari and Rangarirai Charles Dzimba.

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