MALAWI PROFESSIONAL BOXING CLUMSY
Local professional boxing standards have come into question following a run of embarrassing results of eight knockout losses within the last 10 months.
A month ago, Malawian boxer Robert Kachiza was knocked out in the second round by Zimbabwean Tinashe Mwadziwana and almost a week after Salimu Chazama and Enelesi Nkhwanthi lost in similar fashion in the first round in Namibia.
Recently, Aubrey Masamba and Charles Misanjo also got eliminated in the third and fifth rounds, respectively, while Kenneth Chinthenga was admitted to a hospital after being knocked out by Zimbabwean Takudzwa Kuchocha, who also forced Wellington Balakasi into early retirement.
For this reason, the Malawi Professional Boxing Control Board (MPBCB) came up with an idea of banning unlicensed local boxing managers, who are believed to be the drivers of the malaise as “they establish boxing stables without first acquiring proper boxing equipment and have no regards for welfare of their boxers.”
MPBCB publicist Frank Chibisa said from now, anybody wishing to be a manager has to clearly outline how he or she would assist the boxers and show the equipment they would be using.
“The embarrassing results of recent international bouts have given us food for thought. We really need to bring sanity in our fold. With this licensing idea, we will be able to scrutinise the managers’ capabilities before they get into business,” he said.
Chibisa said this will help the body to get rid of managers who just want to reap from the boxers.
But according to New Dawn Boxing Promotions director Mike Chimaliza, the cause of local boxers’ poor showing on the international stage is beyond the absence of quality managers.
He said local boxers lack qualified coaches and necessary international exposure through some exchange programmes between Malawi and other countries.
“This is the direction we should take if we are to improve boxing standards in the country. We need to bring coaches from Zimbabwe or Zambia for clinics here and select young talented boxers to be exposed through exchange programmes with other countries before giving them competitive bouts. [Isaac] Chilemba developed through the same route,” Chimaliza said.
He said it is worrying that up to now, the Malawi Amateur Boxing Association (Maba) seems to be nowhere despite being a nursery for local boxing.
South Africa-based Chilemba has attributed Malawi’s boxing curse on the international stage to lack of motivation and the unavailability of proper boxing structures in the country.
The 27-year-old, who is the world’s second best boxer in the light heavyweight category under the World Boxing Council (WBC), said in a telephone interview from South Africa on Tuesday: “We have hard-working boxers who sacrifice a lot to be at the top of the game, but they are always frustrated in terms of monetary gains and equipment.
“If we had a proper structure that clearly outlined the roles of managers, promoters and boxers and how they should share responsibilities, things could have been better. It is sad that the first thing that most managers and promoters think about is how to get more money from the gates and not investing in the sport,” said Chilemba.
Kachiza said, in his case, if he had not obtained some boxing equipment from his promoter few days before his fight, he could have been forced to use the tattered gloves he bought over a year ago.
“If you come and see the equipment I use for training and the food I eat prior to bouts, you would feel sorry for me. But what can I do? Boxing is what brings food on my table,” the bantamweight boxer said.
Chazama said his loss was also a result of his ignorance about certain boxing rules applied on the international stage.
“I was not aware I could be declared loser on technical knockout if I absorbed three consecutive punches without replying. I thought that rule only applies in the amateur ranks. I deliberately let my opponent come on me so as to make the bout more entertaining to the fans,” he said.
