When grass chokes boxing aspirations

The Sunday Mail

By Langton Nyakwenda

10 February 2013

Mounds of sweet potatoes, green maize crops almost ripe and tall grass greet you as you enter St Mary’s Boxing Centre situated at Huruyadzo Shopping Centre. In the midst of this variety of vegetation is a boxing ring where one of Zimbabwe’s most renowned pugilists, Arigoma Chiponda, cut his teeth.

What was once a famous boxing ring in Chitungwiza is now badly dilapidated and mirrors the extent of the decay that has been eating away at the sport for the past decade.

The “Wafa Wafa” challenge fights which were also common in boxing-loving urban centres like Mabvuku, Tafara, Epworth and Mbare were also a permanent sight in St Mary’s.

Back then, hundreds of spectators would throng the venue to witness the young, middle-aged and experienced boxers trade leather amid jeers, cheers and ululations.

Now, the boxing ring is a pale shadow of its former self and the enthusiasm seems to have died down.

Chiponda, whose boxing career took him to various parts of the world, gets so emotional when he touches on the subject.

At the age of 54, the one-time Zimbabwe light heavyweight champion is still going strong but what he can only do now is develop the abundant talent in the area.

“It pains me a lot that the sport that brought both fame and food on my table has gone down the drain. “We heard of the new boxing board that was appointed by Minister David Coltart last month and we are pinning our hopes on them. Looking at the members of the board, I get the feeling that maybe the good times will roll back. I am sure they will support our initiatives here in St Mary’s” said Chiponda, nostalgia evident in his posture .Through his Powerhouse Boxers Club, Chiponda has been an oasis of hope for the budding boxers in Chitungwiza. St Mary’s Gym is one of the most vibrant in the country’s townships. We are trying with the little resources we have. The youngsters have to share gloves, take turns on the punching bag and when we want to stage fights we use that ring you saw outside.  We remove the grass and tie up the ropes and the fights begin. That’s how bad it has become because we do not have any sponsorship, but we are soldiering on.  I have this feeling that we are letting down these youngsters, they love the sport but they are slowly losing interest because of the state of the sport at national level,” said Chiponda.

He added: “I believe we can turn back the hands of time and rekindle those good days. We did it in the past here at St Mary’s and produced national boxers like Simon and Pamsen Sangulani, Peter Musundi and Barnabas Guvamombe.”

Chiponda cuts a dejected look when he talks of the welfare of boxers in the country.

“It pains me a lot when I hear of these sprouting managers who are milking the boxers. They arrange international fights not to promote the youngsters just because they want to exploit them. How do you explain a scenario where a manager, agent, promoter, coach and the board all demand huge percentages from the boxer’s purse? That is what has been happening and is totally unacceptable as the boxer is left with nothing yet he is the one who suffers most in the ring.I hope this new board looks into the issue and revives meaningful tournaments that we used to stage back then,” he said.

The new Zimbabwe Boxing Control Board chairperson, Paul Nenjerama, is expected to meet Coltart later this week before presiding over the much- awaited inaugural board meeting.

“We have all received our letters of appointment and it’s now down to serious business. I am meeting the minister on Tuesday after his Cabinet meeting and from there I will convene our first board meeting,” said Nenjerama.

Chiponda’s boxing career started in Mabvuku in 1976 before he moved to St Mary’s the following year.

Owing to his irrepressible talent, he was soon brought under the wings of the Air Force of Zimbabwe and he fought in their colours for several years.