Blots that shamed Malawi boxing in 2014

The year 2014 was bad for boxing and most players in the game would not want to be reminded about the shame the country went through.

There were a few blots on the image of boxing and, according to reputed boxing trainer and promoter lieutenant colonel Godfrey Jalare (retired), it will take a decade to clean up the image.

Topping the shame list was the embarrassment that boxers Chikondi Makawa and Stanley Maliko suffered at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The two were forced to buy kits using their own money after the ones bought by the authorities did not meet international standards. On the day of their fights, the two boxers had to ask coaches from Botswana and Zimbabwe to be their corner men after Malawian coach Jobson Adams was disqualified for not having a coaching licence.

As if that was not enough trouble for the boxers, they also suffered language problems.

“There was communication breakdown because of language barrier. It was a great shame to the country. They just fought for formality,” said Jalare.

He said the mistake boxing authorities made was to leave behind experienced and qualified national boxing coach Andy Muyaya.

Maba president Henry Sakala admitted that it was a bad experience and that 2014 was a bad year.

The Nation’s take on the second shameful experience in boxing during the year was the disqualification of the Malawi team at the Anoca Games in Botswana after they missed a weigh-in session.

Another minus in boxing during the just-ended year was the order by the International Boxing Association (Aiba) to dissolve Maba executive committee because its members were not eligible to conduct professional boxing. Aiba made the decision at its meeting in Istanbul, Turkey in July. Then Sakala had headed the association for just six months. The association is yet to hold fresh elections.

In a press statement on Maba’s suspension, Aiba said: “The provisional suspension takes effect immediately. During the period of the provisional suspension, all of the Malawi Boxing Association’s membership rights will be suspended. For the avoidance of doubt, no officials, boxers or coaches shall be entitled to participate in any boxing competition at any level. This provisional suspension will be running as long as new elections are not organised to Aiba’s entire satisfaction and as per the Aiba statutes and by-laws.”  n