. Mugabe

By YVONNE SAKALA –

ZIMBABWE’S Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Andrew Langa says arrangements are being made for both Catherine Phiri and Charles Manyuchi to met President Robert Mugabe after the two won the World Boxing Council (WBC) titles last weekend.

Catherine beat Pia Mazelanik to win the WBC Silver bantamweight title, while Manyuchi clobbered Patrick Allotey of Ghana to win the WBC Intercontinental welterweight belt.

Oriental Quarries Boxing Promotions (OQBP) manager Chris Malunga said that Langa has been communicating with his stable on the possibility of the promoters and boxers meeting with the Zimbabwean President.

Malunga said at a media briefing held at the Southern Sun Hotel in Lusaka yesterday that Manyuchi was already in Zimbabwe and what was remaining was for the Minister to communicate when the OQBP team can go to Harare for the ceremony.

“We are humbled by this gesture to meet with President Robert Mugabe and this is a sign that we have been recognised for the efforts of improving the sport and also bringing honour both to Zambia and Zimbabwe,” he said.

He said the invitation would also act as a motivation and added value to the stable as it will make the boxers to work hard and reach high levels so that they can also be appreciated.

“We shall engage the Zambia Professional Boxing and Wrestling Control Board (ZPBWCB) to get clearance so that we can travel to Zimbabwe. The Zimbabweans are very happy to have a WBC champion for the first time in their history,” he said.

And on Manyuchi’s injury, Malunga said the boxer was not that seriously hurt but will be taken to hospital once he returns from Zimbabwe so that he could be checked by doctors adding that the injury was sustained before the fight against Allotey.

Malunga, however, said OQBP was more than ready to have the two boxers defend their belts in six months as per the rules of WBC and that all the stable was waiting for was for the boxing body to avail the opponents.

And Catherine expressed gratitude to the sponsors saying she will always remain indebted to their support and promised to work even hard and win more titles.

Meanwhile, Langa told the Herald Newspaper when Manyuchi presented his WBC belt that he, together with his Tourism and Hospitality Industry counterpart Walter Mzembi, would try to organise a platform for the boxer to present the belt to the President Mugabe.

And Manyuchi said he was now hoping at getting a fight against Floyd Mayweather.