Chiotcha wants to fight before ABU bout

Malawi Defence Force (MDF) boxer Chimwemwe Chiotcha has asked for a non-title fight before he engages Ugandan Medi Sebyala in an African Boxing Union (ABU) middleweight title bout in Kampala in May.

Chiotcha told The Nation on Thursday that the fight would help him to be in good shape ahead of the bout which Intersport International Promotions has shifted from February 28 to sometime in May.

According to Chiotcha’s manager John Perete, the boxer underwent intensive training in Liwonde for over a month until Intersport changed the dates to accommodate Tanzanian boxers at the May event.

“I have so far trained so hard that if I stay without a fight between now and May, I am bound to lose focus,” said Chiotcha.

“I need a fight as soon as possible so that I can warm down a bit and start tuning up for the ABU title match. It is for this reason, that I ask promoters to organise a bout for me this month,” he said.

Chiotcha also said although he is still training hard at his base, Kamuzu Barracks, he still feels that a bout before travelling to Uganda would remove his frustrations following the postponement of the fight.

This is the second time in six months that Chiotcha has struggled to get his international fight organised on schedule.

Recently, logistical problems jeopardised Chiotcha’s eliminator bout against Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) boxer Kasongo Cherifu at the Blantyre Youth Centre (BYC).

Then, organisers of the event, Ngumi Boxing Promotions, attributed the failure to stage the fight to Malawi Boxing Association’s (Maba) alleged delay to produce a supporting letter for the promoter to make visa applications for Cherifu and his four compatriots who were to feature in supporting encounters.