The Sunday Mail
Sports Reporter
VETERAN promoter and manager Stalin Mau Mau has hailed the appointment of the new boxing board and feels the sport will rise to another level.
The eight-member Zimbabwe National Boxing and Wrestling Control Board (ZNBWCB) was announced by Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Kirsty Coventry during the recent historic WBC (World Boxing Council)/ABU(African Boxing Union) Convention in Victoria Falls.
Marketing executive Vee Chibanda becomes the first woman to chair the boxing board and leads a cast that includes former pugilist Diana Makumbe, Annie Zulifiqar, Hazel Zisanhi, Robert Gonye, Munyaradzi Mujuru, Request Machimbira and Peter Mudzimiri.
Boxing had been operating without a board since December 2019 when Richard Hondo and his colleagues’ term of office expired.
“We were blessed at this convention with the announcement of the new boxing board, which I feel is going to accelerate the pace of our efforts. “I know in the next 12 months boxing will be at another level,” Mau Mau told The Sunday Mail Sport. The 68-year-old promoter was also honoured by the WBC at the same event for his efforts in uplifting the sport.
Mau Mau, who has been in boxing for over three decades, was presented with a medal inscribed “You are now part of boxing history.”
The legendary manager-cum-promoter is famous for his role in nurturing a number of boxers that include ex-Commonwealth flyweight champion Arifonso Zvenyika.
He also worked with retired boxers such as Anderson Size, Farai Master Kachigwada, Misheck Kondwani and Farai Musiiwa.
He is still promoting the sport through his famous “Peanuts to Diamonds” tournaments.
“I was very elated because I never expected this recognition,” Mau Mau said.
“Because whatever I have been doing over the years was unconditional … It was not for the sake of getting recognition.
“In life, a thank you is always important. When you do things to people, there should not be a condition, but at the end of the day, there is no one who does not need to be thanked for a job well done.”
He said the medal made him realise that the world is taking note of local boxing.
Mau Mau insists he has never financially benefitted from the sport, as he has always done it “for charity”.
“It’s not because I have the money but it is because I want to develop boxing in this country.”
He is also happy for Government’s support.
“I am happy that the Government came on board to sponsor this convention, which was opened by Vice President Chiwenga,” he added.
“We just felt that boxing had been totally ignored but now the Government has come on board and they are absolutely serious to link boxing and other sports with tourism …”
He is confident that the corporate world has already taken note of the development of the sport.
Kudakwashe Chiwandire, the current WBC Interim Super bantamweight champion, is set to defend her title against Zulina Munoz of Mexico in Harare on August 27.
