Zambia: Last Saturday and Sunday of 2023 in Kabwe, witnessed a two-day Zambia National Boxing Tournament at Sam’s Car Wash. Back-to-back flying punches in female and male categories in feather, Lightweight, and weightier, among other categories, saw winners of the first round of matches on Saturday qualify for the finals on Sunday, where ten winners emerged.
The ten best boxers of the tournament included Chipo Kapende, Violet Moonga, Maureen Tembo, Jonathan Mwinga, Nene Maonga, Emmanuel Katema, General Mundawanu, Clement Zulu, Stephen Zimba, and Gift Mulenga.
The participating teams in the tournament came from the Copperbelt, Lusaka and central province. The main purpose of the tournament, participating teams that came from Copperbelt, Lusaka, and the central province, was to assess boxers that will be picked for the national team in readiness for the All Africa Games in Ghana in March 2024.
Speaking just before handing over awards from Topstar, Zambia Boxing Federation President Danny Chiteule said the tournament was very important looking at the coming tournaments, such as the Olympics in July, world qualifiers in Italy in March and Bangkok in May 2024.
He says the country missed out on qualifiers in the last tournament in Senegal, where out of 8 participants, only one boxer qualified for the Olympics in the name of Patrick Chinyemba.
Chiteule has since appealed to business houses to come on board and support boxing.
Emmanuel Katema, a light waterweight winner from Green Buffalos Lusaka, said he is ready for the upcoming Ghana All Africa Games in March. ‘I am hungry, and the food is the opponent at the tournament. He has since called on the youths to find something to do instead of abusing alcohol or doing other bad things. ‘You can make yourself busy by joining any spot you want’, he added.
Another participant, 40kg by weight and a winner by 5:0 in the final, Chipo Jacinta Kapembwa from Charm Shuffle Chiteule Boxing Academy in Kabwe, narrated that the tournament was exciting. ‘I did well and won by unanimous decision. ‘I am ready to represent Zambia, I want to become a champion more than Esther Phiri’, she said.
She encouraged other girls to try boxing or other sporting activities to keep away from abusing alcohol, smoking, and other bad vices.