▪ The entry of the refined Zambian boxers adds more fire to this eagerly awaited boxing bonanza in Nairobi
▪ AFBC Zone 3 Championships is now an open event for the rest of the African countries willing to participate, says SG Lukelo Willilo
One of Africa’s top boxing nations, Zambia, have officially been allowed to take part in the AFBC Zone 3 Boxing Championships scheduled for October 15-25 in Nairobi, the world’s only capital city with a national park on its doorstep.
The Secretary-General of AFBC Zone 3, Lukelo Willilo, said they have accepted Zambia’s request to participate in the Nairobi boxing extravaganza despite the fact that the Southern African country is in Zone 4 of the Africa Boxing Confederation (AFBC).
“We have made our Zone 3 Championships an open event for other African countries in different zones to participate, this will make it more competitive as we look forward to the Africa Elite Men’s and Women’s Championships,” said Willilo who is also the President of the Tanzania Boxing Federation (TBF).
The entry of the refined and tough Zambian boxers definitely adds more fire to the highly anticipated AFBC Zone 3 Championships.
Zambia placed fifth overall at the 2023 African Games in Accra, Ghana last year, with two gold medals by legendary Paris Olympic Games quarter-finalist Patrick Chinyemba in the flyweight division and welterweight Gerald Kabinda, three silvers from bantamweight Mwengo Mwale, lightweight Andrew Chilata and light-welterweight Emmanuel Katema while featherweight Albert Ngulube and female minimumweight Margret Tembo settled for bronze medals. In addition to Tembo, among other formidable female boxers expected to be included in the Zambia team for the Nairobi event are 2022 Maputo Africa lightweight champion Felistus Nkandu and bronze medallist Juliana Kasonka.
The Zambians will be handled by arguably their most successful coach Wisdom Mudenda, a former international whose father, Vincent Mudenda, was also a coach in charge of the famous Green Buffaloes stable.
Zambia Boxing Federation Secretary-General Bornwell Gift Banda welcomed the decision by Zone 3 bigwigs to include them in the competition, and said they will be represented by 16 boxers.
“We will now conduct our trials first to come up with the team for the Zone 3 Championships, we thank the organisers for including us,” said Banda.
Zambian boxers have previously been regular visitors to Nairobi especially during the December Jamhuri Day celebration matches against Kenya. Among some of Zambia’s past most famous and successful boxers include Commonwealth and ABU champion for six years Lottie Mwale, 1991 African Games lightweight champion Felix Bwalya whose death in 1997 after fighting Briton Paul Burke in Lusaka irked Zambians, Chisanda Mutti, twice Commonwealth Games silver medallist Julius Luipa, 2002 Commonwealth Games flyweight champion Kennedy Kanyanta, Esther Phiri, WBC bantamweight champion Catherine Phiri, former Zambia federation president Charm Chiteule, 1984 LA Olympics bronze medallist Keith Mwila, 1978 Commonwealth Games featherweight silver medallist John Sichula and 1973 African Games flyweight champion Tim Feruka who also took part in the 1971 inaugural East African Championships at Nairobi’s City Hall.
Eight of the 14-member countries of AFBC Zone 3 have already confirmed participation. They are DR Congo, Burundi, Tanzania, Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville, Ethiopia, Somalia and hosts Kenya.
The six yet to confirm are Rwanda, Gabon, Chad, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
