BY GODFREY DUBE in Chazanga  –
NINE boxers were at the weekend left with bloody noses during year end Punch out Early Marriages boxing tournament held at Bwafwano Grounds.
A tournament sponsored by Oriental Quarries Boxing Promotions (OQBP) and SOS Children’s Village Zambia to close the Midlands Boxing Associations (MABA) 2016 season, Green Buffaloes boxer Charles Lumbwe the onslaught and won via a third round technical knock-out (TKO).
Former national team captain Lumbwe stopped Elias Simukonda of ZNS in the welterweight category in three rounds that saw referee to move in to save the opponent.
Next up was Francis Nundwe of Exodus who beat Mustapha Phiri of OlympAfrica via a second round stoppage in a bantamweight bout while Troy Mulenga of Buffaloes repeated a second round win when fighting Brian Shamabampi of Red Arrows in the same category.
In the light-flyweight category, Christopher Katanga of ZNS beat Sylvester Sampa of ZNS with Harrison Maimale of Exodus beating Gilbert Chisongo of Buffaloes, with both fights ending in the third round.
In the girls’ category, Margaret Tembo of Exodus beat Prisca Banda of Evergreen in the bantamweight category, winning via a TKO in the first round while Melody Ng’ona of Exodus beating Falace Chilufya of OlympAfrica via TKO in the second round.
ZNS’s Felistus Nkandu beat Margaret Chilufya of OlympAfrica via a first round TKO in the bantamweight category.
In other fights, Chishimbe Simoya of Zambia Army side Green Buffaloes beat Gerald Kabinda of Youth Empowerment via split points’ decision while Dennis Kasongo of Buffaloes beat Rueben Silwamba of Exodus on a unanimous points’ decision.
Patrick Chinyemba of Exodus beat Mukuni Bulaya of Youth Empowerment via unanimous point decision in the light-flyweight category while Mwengo Mwale beat Sipho Njovu via a 3-0 judges’ score.
Also in attendance as a guest was WBC female bantamweight champion Catherine Phiri who expressed happiness with the tournament as such events keep youths away from the streets and stops them from engaging in unwelcome acts such as drug abuse and early marriages.
Catherine said boxing or any other sport is worthy taking up as a career and people should learn from her achievements through boxing adding it was possible with any sport.
She said through sports and education, youths can manage to curb the bad vices of early marriages and reduce the high levels of violence against children in the country.
“I am happy to be part of this event, such events keep us the youths from engaging into early marriages and I must say that boxing, like any other sport can make us achieve what we want,” she said.