By YVONNE SAKALA –
NATIONAL heavyweight boxing champion Francis ‘Galagata’ Zulu has hang up his gloves and relinquished his belt to the Boxing Board of Control (BBC).
The 42-year-old boxing champion announced his retirement at a Press briefing at Ndeke Hotel in Lusaka yesterday and that he was calling time on active boxing to pave way for younger and upcoming boxers.
Zulu said now that he had quit active boxing, he would concentrate on his newly formed boxing stable and help promote local boxers so that they could also achieve what he had and probably more.
Zulu went on to be Global Boxing Union (GBU) heavyweight champion.
“I am now retiring from active boxing and I am going into administration, I have had a long successful boxing career, I have been the GBU champion, Commonwealth contender, I was also the first contender in the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Africa.
“I have been the Africa Boxing Union (ABU) contender, and I am best known for being the Zambian heavy weight champion,” the former champion said.
He thanked his fans for the love and supported throughout out his fighting career.
He said he had formed his own stable called GALAZ and looked forward to the support he received when he was an active boxer.
And speaking at the same event, BBC Secretary John Shipanuka praised Zulu for his past performance saying the former champion was a role model to most of the young boxers.
Shipanuka said Zulu becomes a second boxer to become a promoter apart from Anthony Mwamba who owns Exodus Boxing Promotions who he says opened the gates of boxing promotions in the country.
“I just want to praise Zulu for his past performance, he was a crowd puller and boxing fans loved him, every time he entered the ring he will pull big crowd. He is a role model.
“His belt will be taken to the museum and will have his name engraved on it for people to see,” Shipanuka said.
Meanwhile GALAZ boxing promotions stable manager Raymond Mwanza said there was need for a new boxing stable to come on board and help uplift the standards of the sport in the country.
“We need to have disciplined boxers, I am here to tell you that this is your opportunity to represent your country, we also want Government to support us in this journey because it’s cardinal to uplift our youths from the streets,” he said.