GODFREY DUBE –
WITH just hours before the national boxing team leaves for New Delhi for the AIBA India amateur invitation tournament, the Zambia Boxing Federations (ZBF) is still making rounds to find the K25, 000 deficit.
ZBF General Secretary Bright Chomba said the federation was still hoping it can today find the K25,000 budget deficit in order to send all 12 boxers to India.
Chomba said should the federation fail to get the K25, 000 at the end of business today, it will drop one boxer and some officials from the trip.
“We are confident the boxers will make the trip to India, our budget was K185, 000. Our plan is to send 12 boxers to the tournament, this will help them gain the much needed exposure as they gear up for the Commonwealth Games later this year,” Chomba said.
He said the tournament in India will help the technical bench to gauge how ready the boxers are for the big stage as well as check the improvements made in the Commonwealth Games process,” he said.
“Look if we have to drop people, we have to start from the officials accompanying the team then boxers as a last resort. These are our priority and we want them exposed. But we are hoping something can come up so we send a complete squad,” Chomba said.
The India boxing tournament is part of the preparations for a series of tournaments lined-up for the boxers in them getting ready for the Commonwealth Games, which are this year’s biggest sports event.
The tournament which is scheduled to start on January 27 will run until February 2.
He said the tournament was important especially for the female boxers who missed the world women championships in Guwahati, India last year.