By FELIX MALUNGA –
ZAMBIA Amateur Boxing Federation (ZABF) president, Thomas Chileshe has opted to take a reconciliatory route in 2014 and promised to lift suspensions on all banned former boxing officials.
Chileshe said in life it was important to embrace reconciliation and tolerance and that petty differences should not hinder development.
He said in an interview in Kitwe yesterday that some people were punished wrongly for joining some camps, hence the need for a fresh start.
Chileshe said there was need to follow biblical teachings of forgive and forget and never to hold grudges against one another.
He said after consulting the ZABF executive and in accordance with the constitution, he would officially announce the lifting of suspensions on those banned from all boxing activities.
“I am sure others will start calling me names and I may even become unpopular for giving the suspended officials another chance. But as long as what I’ll be doing is pleasing to God, I wwll not regret my actions,” he said in his New Year message to the boxing fraternity.
Chileshe said to develop boxing, there was need for the involvement of all stakeholders including some of the suspended officials.
The ZABF chief, however, appealed to the affected officials to be remorseful of their past deeds, saying personal character would determine those who deserve to be pardoned.
“There is no guarantee that all those officials who were banned will have their suspensions lifted. They need to show remorse because personal character will determine the lifting of the bans,” he said.
Chileshe also said he wanted to see all internal wrangles which were hindering development in ZABF end this year when Zambia would be celebrating 50 years of independence.
Some of the banned officials include former ZABF general secretary, Bright Chomba and Duncan Ntemena of Chiwempala Boxing Club in Chingola.
Others affected were former national coach, Elias Kataya and Midlands Amateur Boxing Association officials, Thomas Sililo, Godfrey Mwape and John Bwalya.
