Verbal boxing erupts again
The International Boxing Federation (IBF) AMEPG super middleweight title fight between Chimwemwe Chiotcha and Tanzanian Francis Cheka has flopped.
The bout scheduled to take place in Ethiopia on January 26 was cancelled after the Malawi Boxing Association (Maba) put its foot down, demanding documents to back up the trip.
But the trip’s leader of delegation and IBF agent Daud Chikwanje claimed on Wednesday that he furnished Maba with all the details.
Chikwanje was reacting to what Henry Sakala, Maba vice-president, said about the boxing delegation not proceeding to Addis Ababa. Sakala says Maba wants to see the letter from hosts African Sport Promotion [Sammy Retta], details of the prize money, proof of appointment of Chikwanje as leader of delegation and the boxers’ signed contract.
“Chikwanje has been accusing us on radio that we are blocking the trip, but we want to set the record straight that all we want are procedures to be followed for us to seek Chiotcha’s release from the Malawi Defence Force (MDF),” Sakala said on Wednesday.
“Our general secretary [Arthur Nanthuru] asked for details on how they will travel to Ethiopia, which body has sanctioned the bout and prize money details. Chikwanje cannot produce the details, yet he is accusing the GS of blocking the trip,” he said.
Sakala’s remarks are reflected in his letter dated December 17 2012 followed by Nanthuru’s letter to Chikwanje dated December 23 2012 requesting for the bout’s documents.
Thursday, Chikwanje accused Maba of being jealousy with the lucrative $1 800 winning prize for Chiotcha and the air tickets which the promoters sent to the Malawi delegation.
“Maba went behind our back to convince MDF to only deal with them when seeking boxers’ release, yet I am the National Professional Boxers Committee’s (NPBC) general secretary. We copied them all the e-mails about the fight. But Sakala is asking why I am travelling. In professional boxing, we do not produce a letter about bouts, but a contract which was sent to them,” said Chikwanje.
He denied any conflict of interest in the Ethiopia trip, saying he is accredited by IBF, which only allows those within domestic professional boxing committees to be agents. The Ethiopia fight is meant to raise awareness of East Africa drought victims.
“I am chosen as an agent of IBF Africa in Malawi. What I am trying to do here is to promote Malawian boxers. If you do not write the request to release Chimwemwe Chiotcha, it is okay, but you are not killing my future, but the boxers’ future,” Chikwanje argued in response to Nanthuru and Sakala.
But Sakala in a letter of January 14 to NPBC, challenged Chikwanje that Maba cannot be intimidated “after all, let him go back to those who employed him as IBF agent to give him code of conduct as an agent.”
“I do not think Chikwanje is above Maba or everyone in terms of governing boxing in Malawi. Advise him to produce the invitation letter from Addis and for his post as IBF agent; let him show us his licence for the same,” Sakala wrote following an earlier letter by Nanthuru accusing Chikwanje of being emotional in his correspondence.
The Nation saw what Chikwanje claims to be his IBF licence.
