Board wants boxers’ managers licensed

Malawi Professional Boxing Control Board (MPBCB) has issued an order that all the professional boxers should have licensed managers by the end of this month.

MPBCB says boxers that have unlicensed managers will be barred.

MPBCB general secretary Gibson Chisale said the board has decided to come up with such measures to ensure professionalism.

“This is a basic requirement for professional boxers as stipulated by International Boxing Federation [IBF]. It is a must for our boxers to abide by that order. We have, therefore, set January 31 deadline for all our boxers to have licensed managers. Those that will not have licensed managers by then will not be allowed to operate,” he said.

The licences are issued by MPBCB at a fee of K5 000.

Commenting on the development, boxer Limbani Masamba, welcomed the idea.

He said boxers with managers have enough time for training rather than dealing with the promoters.

Masamba, however, appealed to MPBCB to extend the closing date to April.

“It is important for boxers to have proper managers and if the order will be implemented, the status of the sport will be uplifted.

“However, we are appealing to MPBCB to extend the closing date to April because January is difficult month for one to secure money for the licence fee,” he said.

Boxing promoter Michael Chimaliza of New Dawn Boxing Promotion (NDBP) described the development as best approach towards the improvement of boxers’ welfare.

“We have been facing a lot of challenges dealing with boxers without managers. I welcome the MPCB order as this is a professional way of doing things,” said Chimaliza. n