Malawi Boxing Association suspended
Malawi amateur boxers, officials, umpires, judges and coaches are ineligible to indulge in the sport following the International Boxing Association’s (Aiba) decision to suspend the Malawi Boxing Association (Maba).
On its website, www.aiba.org , the world controlling body of boxing, suspended indefinitely Maba for flouting Aiba’s statutes during elections held in Liwonde in January. The suspension puts at risk careers of boxers and the officials.
Aiba, headquartered in Switzerland, further warned that: “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 Bylaws.”
Aiba is unhappy that Maba officials such as president Henry Sakala have been involved in professional boxing in the last five years against Aiba statutes. Sakala owns a boxing stable for professional boxers whereas other officials have officiated professional fights as judges and umpires.
“In accordance with article. 14.2 and article 17.1 of the Aiba Statutes, the Aiba executive committee decided on July 15, 2014 to provisionally suspend the Malawi Boxing Association due to serious breaches of the AIBA Statutes and Bylaws in terms of general assembly/elections,” reads www.aiba.org.
“The provisional suspension takes effect immediately. During the period of the provisional suspension, all 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.”
Sakala confirmed the suspension, but argued that officials served professional boxing until last year when Maba was delinked from the Malawi Professional Boxing Committee which Lonzoe Zimba heads.
“It is a non-starter as in our case everybody was involved in professional boxing. We used to combine amateur and professional boxing. We will write them to counter argue against this. We are not the only ones affected. There are so many changes which Aiba has made,” said Sakala.
South Africa-based Malawian boxing coach Andson Kazembe on Wednesday said Maba’s suspension would have grave consequences on grass roots boxing.
“It will affect amateur boxers as they will not be allowed to participate in any international tournaments that are sanctioned by Aiba,” said Kazembe
Maba’s vice-secretary Gabriel Chirwa said he was in the dark about the suspension, but welcomed it, hoping it could bring sanity in Maba.
Chirwa had accused Sakala of interfering in the committee’s work by, among others, selecting boxers for international events such as the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
During the Maba elections, promoter Mbachichi Nyirenda was elected general secretary while judge Elson Mankhomwa was elected vice secretary unopposed. Shadric Namalomba, Pyson Likagwa, Leonard Tilingamawa and Salomy Manyawu were elected committee members.
