One only needs to look at the sport of boxing to realise just how deep in crisis Zimbabwean sport is.
By Michael Kariati
The Zimbabwe National Boxing and Wrestling Control Board (ZNBWCB) is operating at a zero budget to the extent that it has been hanging on the charity of its vice-chairperson Lorraine Muringi.
ZNBWCB president Paul Nenjerama revealed that the board inherited a zero bank balance from the previous board and appeals for government funding have been unsuccessful.
“We inherited a zero budget in terms of finance. There are no boxers, no promoters and no judges. We had to start from scratch, ” said Nenjerama.
Although the amount of work at hand requires an office for the secretariat, they are forced to carry business documents in their cars or bags.
“I don’t know for how long we will continue doing this,” Nenjerama said.
He said they had been promised some money from this year’s sports ministry budget but up to now nothing has materialised. He, however, said they had been offered the ministry’s boardroom to use for meetings.
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The board was appointed in January last year and given the mandate to revive the sport which has not been active in the past decade. Zimbabwe, which soon after Independence was chart-busting on the continental arena with a three time Commonwealth champion in the form of Langton Schoolboy Tinago and two Africa champions in the form of Stix McLoud and Kilimanjaro, no longer has even a zonal champion.
Although Charles Manyuchi is Zimbabwean, he fights in Zambia under Oriental Boxing Promotions. He has so far fought in Zambia, Burkina Faso, Namibia, South Africa and Malawi, but not in Zimbabwe.
