MPBCB accuses managers of failing their boxers
Malawi Professional Boxing Control Board (MPBCB) has attributed the country’s poor international boxing record to local boxers’ laxity in terms of training.
MPBCB president Lonzoe Zimba made the statement after Felix Mwamaso, Chikondi Makawa and Raston Kayira suffered embarrassing defeats in Namibia last weekend.
Zimba attributed the malaise to boxing managers’ tendency of training only when the boxer has a fight.
Mwamaso suffered a first-round knockout against Walter Kautondokwa.
His compatriot Kayira also lost in first round to Jeremiah Nakathila after the referee stopped the contest to save the Malawian boxer from further punishment.
Makawa, on the other hand, lasted the four rounds against Namibian Paulinus Paulus but lost on points decision.
The trio travelled to Namibia for the Independence Celebration tournament under No Pain No Gain Boxing Promotion and Zimbabwe’s Delta Force Boxing Academy.
“I urge boxing managers not to let their boxers relax after bouts. They need to make sure they keep up the pace in training even when they do not know when their next bouts will be. Of course, we lack so many things, but I believe we can still do better,” he said.
No Pain No Gain chief executive officer Craig Rousseau attributed the losses to the country’s poor boxing standards in terms of infrastructure and sponsorship.
“Unlike us, our Namibian colleagues have seriously invested in boxing. They do not have problems with having standard boxing rings, going into world-class gyms and most of all, corporate sponsorship,” he said.
He added that it is difficult to beat such opponents on points considering the power of home-ground advantage in the arena.
“Unless we get the required necessities, we will continue to stumble in the foreign land. However, we will not stop sending boxers to such countries because that is the only way our boxers can gain international exposure.” n
