The Sunday Mail
Gilbert Munetsi
Sport s Reporter
FRESH from having been hosted at State House by President Mnangagwa and receiving a token of US$10 000, boxing prodigy Charles Manyuchi has been named World Alliance Boxing Association (WABA) Goodwill Ambassador, which is a lifetime honour.
Manyuchi beat Ugandan Muhammad Sebyala on July 3 to claim three unified world belts in a tournament held in Masvingo.
He is now the current World Boxing Federation, WABA and World Professional Boxing Federation reigning champion.
Against this background, WABA said it had seen it fit to bestow him with the ambassadorial title, according to the president of the association.
Writing from Moshi, Tanzania, where the newly born sanctioning body is headquartered, Onesmo Ngowi revealed the board of directors of the association had convened a virtual meeting to deliberate on developments happening within the global boxing body, and in the process a unanimous decision had been taken to accord Manyuchi with the honorary ambassadorial title.
“The World Alliance Boxing Association (WABA) congratulates you for winning the inaugural WABA Supreme World Middleweight Championship in your bout against Ugandan Mohamed Sebyala in Masvingo, Zimbabwe, on July 3, 2021.
“We wish you an illustrious boxing career as the reigning champion. Your championship is valid for 12 calendar months within which it is mandatory to defend it against an opponent to be approved by WABA.
“We are pleased with your historic victory and your efforts to stimulate and grow the sport of boxing.
“Through your project, the Charles Manyuchi Academy, you have indeed continued to be a beacon of hope for many aspiring boxers.
“For such an exemplary attitude, the WABA board of directors in its virtual meeting held on Friday, July 9, resolved to appoint you the WABA Ambassador of Goodwill (an honorary lifetime achievement title) effective from July 10, 2021,’’ Ngowi wrote.
The letter was copied to the Zimbabwe National Boxing and Wrestling Control Board. Meanwhile, a Tanzania boxing promotion entity, International Sports Management Promotion (ISMP), has invited the former ABU, GBU, UBC and WBC champion to defend his WABA title at a tournament dubbed “Friday Night Boxing Extravaganza”.
The event is aimed at promoting tourism via sport and will attract a contingent of boxers from former Frontline States that include Mozambique, Tanzania, Namibia, Angola, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Attendees to the event will also have the opportunity to tour and promote tourist attractions which include the Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara and the Arusha National Park.
