Boxing board president Zimba to seek re-election
Malawi Professional Boxing Control Board (MPBCB) founding president Lonzoe ‘Defector’ Zimba says he will seek re-election at the body’s elective general assembly scheduled for September 27.
The association will hold its annual general meeting (AGM) at Crossroads Hotel in Lilongwe.
In an interview yesterday, Zimba said: “I have achieved a lot since my election in 2012, but I still have unfinished business.
“Professional boxing hasn’t yet reached the lofty heights that I want it to scale and, therefore, should delegates endorse me, I am eager and willing to carry on,” he said.
Among others, the flamboyant businessperson cited local boxers such as Hannock Phiri, Israel Kam’mwamba, Ellen Simwaka and Aneesha Basheel winning international titles as some of the current board’s successes.
He said: “At the time we formed the MPBCB, professional boxers were under the umbrella of Malawi Boxing Association, which focuses on amateur boxers and that is when why launched the professional body.
“That time, our professional boxers were only fighting in Tanzania, but they are now recognised and are able to fight worldwide.”
Zimba said using their own resources, they started attending continental and world boxing bodies’ meetings until they were recognised and registered as affiliates “and I am proud to say that we are affiliated to the African Boxing Union [ABU] as well as World Boxing Council [WBC]”.
He said: “We also pushed for the inclusion of our boxers on Boxrec, a website which updates records of professional and amateur boxers, which was not the case before.”
Under his leadership, the MPBCB also introduced national title belts.
Zimba, who is also an executive committee member of ABU, said except for the position of vice-president, held by legendary former boxer ‘Tough’ Ben Chitenje, all the other positions will be up for grabs.
“As a board, we decided to accord Mr. Chitenje an honorary role for the role he has played in professional boxing as a boxer, promoter and official dating back to the 1970s,” he said.
Celebrated South Africa-based Malawian boxer Isaac ‘Golden Boy’ Chilemba hailed the MPBCB for improving professional boxing in the country.
He said: “When I left for South Africa in 2007 or thereabouts, there was no professional boxing body in Malawi, but now we have one and Mr. Zimba has done a commendable job.
“And despite setting the ball rolling by forming the body, they are still being accountable by calling for elective AGMs which is also good.”
The last time MPBCB held an elective AGM was five years ago.
