.Kennedy Kanyanta

By SANDRA MWILA –

LIGHTWEIGHT boxer Lawrence Mukuta has been dropped from the national team that left for Scotland on Tuesday night for a training camp ahead of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
National coach Kennedy Kanyanta said in an interview before departure that Mukuta was dropped from the final team because he was not up to the standards of competing at the Commonwealth Games.
Kanyanta said while Mukuta had shown signs of being a good boxer, he was not ready to fight at a high level competition like the Commonwealth Games.
“I feel Mukuta is a good boxer but is not yet ready to fight at the high level like the Commonwealth Games. I feel the five boxers picked will win us medals because they have shown the hunger for success,” he said.
He added that while in Scotland, the boxers will not be subjected to any international fights but will just shape up in readiness for the competition.
“The boxers are 80 per cent ready for the Commonwealth Games but should be at 95 per cent in two weeks time. The competition will be tough and this is why we need to ensure the boxers are well prepared by making them undergo intense training to sharpen their skills and fitness levels,” he said.
Kanyanta, who was a gold medallist at the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games, said Zambia is guaranteed of medals based on the impressive performances the boxers have put up during tournaments.
The five boxers picked are Bwalya Lumbwe (light–flyweight), Ben Muziyo (light middleweight), Christopher Katanga (flyweight), Mbachi Koanga (light welter weight) and Charles Lumbwe (lightweight).