▪️The Zambian current most decorated boxer now eyes $300,000 for gold medallists at the richest ever amateur boxing tournament slated for next month in Dubai.
The commercialisation of boxing by the International Boxing Association (IBA) is widely considered a major financial boon to African boxers some of whom have narrated how the introduction of prize money has changed their lives among them Zambia’s African Games flyweight champion Patrick “Baddo” Chinyemba.
In an interview with boxersworld.co.ke, Chinyemba, a quarter-finalist at the Paris Olympics and gold medallist in the 2022 Africa Elite Championships, does not hide his joy at the completion of his own house in the capital city Lusaka.
“I consider this a big achievement in my life because at 23 years of age it’s not easy to build a house in our city for many of my peers,” says Chinyemba.
“I completed the house after receiving $10,000 Maputo prize money from the IBA, I’ll forever sing praises of this great boxing body that has changed our lives.
“IBA are doing a very good job for us boxers, besides myself other boxers too are now proud owners of their own houses including my friend Alcinda Dos Santos of Mozambique.”
Chinyemba further talks on the difficulty of his agemates owning a house in prime plots in Lusaka.
“Unless one takes a loan it’s not easy, it’s even more difficult to build a house from our salaries, you’ll save for eternity,” says Chinyemba, adding:”Only a few can do so depending on how much they’re earning at work and those from wealthy families.”
Chinyemba has so far earned a total of $33,000 courtesy of IBA’s prize money. In addition to the $10,000 he won in Maputo, he was paid $20,000 for clinching the IBA Africa flyweight title in the first ever Champions’ Night contest on African soil staged in 2024 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and $3000 for quarter-finalists in the 2023 Men’s World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan which marked the first time quarter-finalists were being paid, an undertaking by IBA to ensure the prize money trickles down to other deserving boxers.
The Zambian star boxer has already moved in the new three-bedroomed house with wife Shalom and daughter Precious.
“My wife is so happy ever smiling by having her permanent home in Lusaka, she has now become more interested in boxing always asking me when is my next fight , our daughter though only one year and seven months also knows she’s in a new home as she runs allover in the spacious building, all this through boxing and President Umar Kremlev, long live IBA.”
Inspired by his investment, Chinyemba is now eyeing the alluring $300,000 top prize money for the gold medallists in the 2025 Men’s World Boxing Championships scheduled for December 2-13 in Dubai.
“If all goes well I want to get that money and invest on rental houses in Lusaka, it’s a lot of cash that would take pro boxers many years to earn in Africa and other parts of the world.
He singles out reigning world champion and Paris Olympic gold medallist Uzbekistan’s Hasanboy Dusmatov as the only hurdle in his goal of winning $300,000 in Dubai.
“My only threat in flyweight is Hasanboy, I was looking forward to fight him in Paris Olympics but I lost in the quarter-finals to Cape Verde’s David Pina, the rest cannot beat me unless otherwise. I’m fit and ready for Dubai,” says Chinyemba once again lamenting on few international top-notch tournaments in Africa.
“After the Paris Olympics, I’ve just boxed in the Champions Night in Addis, locally I fought only once this year in Livingstone and won during a tournament involving all the provinces. We were waiting for the Africa Championships to make more money but it didn’t happen.
“Lack of exposure is another big problem facing most African boxers,” says Chinyemba.
“Like now we’re going to Dubai but African boxers have not taken part in any international tournament outside our continent and this affects most of the boxers when they appear in a tough tournament like the one in Dubai next month.”
Chinyemba has made a passionate to IBA to include him in the pro boxing series to defend his IBA Africa flyweight title he captured in Addis Ababa via a fourth round TKO win over Ghana’s Theo “Lopez” Allotey who could not withstand Chinyemba’s digging body blows.
“I really want to appear in IBA.Pro series to defend my Africa title or fight for another title,” says Chinyemba describing the IBA.Pro as a gem in giving boxers more opportunities to empower themselves financially.
