Kayuni, Chazama insured for TZ fights
Malawi Defence Force (MDF) soldiers Osgood Kayuni and Salimu Chazama have become the first boxers to be insured.
The pair travelled to Tanzania on Wednesday for international non-title fights.
The development comes almost a month after Army commander Ignacio Maulana ordered that no MDF boxer would participate in a fight without being insured.
Kayuni faces Tanzanian Rhamadan Shauri in a six-round international welterweight non-title fight while Chazama will fight another Tanzanian Tanga Said Mundi in a super lightweight non-title bout at the National Indoor Stadium in Dar es Salam on Saturday.
The bouts, organised by Mwanzoe Promotions, will curtain-raise the Universal Boxing Organisation (UBO) world super middleweight title-fight between Tanzanian Thomas Mashali and Iranian Sajad Mehrabi.
Speaking before departure, facilitator of the two fights Stephen Mawenzi said the two were cleared by MDF after they had showed evidence to prove that they have been insured.
Kayuni’s manager Olusegun Kapanga said his stable, Zama Boxing Promotions, paid for the 31-year-old pugilist.
While refusing to disclose the insurance company, Kapanga just said: “I went into an agreement with a certain company to provide medical insurance to Osgood for the next five years,” he said.
Malawi Professional Boxing Control Board (MPBC) general secretary Gibson Chisale said they have received communication from the army that the two boxers have been cleared after they were insured.
“MDF has informed us that the two boxers have been insured. This is good news because our boxers will now be able to box with commitment knowing that if they get injured they have the insurance,“ he said. n
