MWILA
By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –
THE Zambia Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (ZBBFF) has slapped a two-year suspension on reigning Mr Zambia, Sylvester Mwila for grumbling over the ‘meagre’ purse money which he described as ‘trash’.
ZBBFF has also in its continued effort to stamp out indiscipline in the federation expelled Matero Gym chairperson, Trust Chashi for alleged as gross indiscipline and failing to show leadership.
Mwila told journalists after he retained his Mr Zambia title at InterContinental Hotel last weekend that the K1, 500 winner’s prize given to him was trash looking at the amount spent during training.
According to resolutions of a disciplinary meeting held on December 26, five days after the Mr Zambia contest was held, Mwila, who has won the contest for four years running, was with immediate effect suspended from all bodybuilding activities.
As if that was not enough, Mwila has been stripped off the 2013 Mr Zambia title and would not be given the prize money he grumbled over.
In a statement signed by both ZBBFF president, Danny Mkandawire and secretary Lee Mukupa, the federation said indiscipline would not be condoned in the sport.
“The disciplinary committee has decided to suspend Mwila from all bodybuilding activities and his title has been stripped from him. He is no longer Mr Zambia and his prize money will not be given to him.
The decision was arrived at after finding Mwila to have behaved in an inappropriate manner as a sportsman who went to give disparaging comments to the media. ZBBFF has since found it fit to suspend Mwila for a period of two years,” a statement said.
This could now mean that Emmanuel Mwale, who finished second to Mwila, would take up the 2013 tile and possibly the K1, 500 prize money.
Mwila’s comments on the prize money been trash raised anger from the ZBBFF executive who said the prize money would have been better had the main sponsor not pulled out at the last minute but insisted the champion had misbehaved.
Even Sports Minister, Chishimba Kambwili aired views, saying Mwila was an indisciplined athlete as the bodybuilder stood by his statement that the Mr Zambia prizes were a mockery.
And in another case that was considered, the disciplinary committee decided that Chashi was a bad egg to the sport and needed to be rooted out for promoting anarchy to the sport through expulsion.
The expulsion letter obtained by the Times stated that Chashi had recently exhibited high level of indiscipline and the recent Mr Zambia was no exception.
“At the recent Mr Zambia held on December 20, he (Chashi) incited members to insult the ZBBFF leadership. He has been indisciplined and failed to show leadership as a chairman. He has also failed to follow the rules and is expelled beginning December 27, 2013,” the statement read.
