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Joseph Muchechetere

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE Sports and Recreation Commission has mourned the passing away of long-serving Zimbabwe Amateur Boxing Association (now Zimbabwe Boxing Federation) president, Lovemore Malianga.

The veteran boxing administrator died on Wednesday at West End Hospital after a long battle with diabetes.

He was 69.

“As the SRC we had been aware that he has  not been well for sometime but we were hopeful that he was going to recover but that was not to be. Lovemore will be remembered for his zeal, passion and dedication to duty especially the development of sport at the grassroots level where he worked tirelessly to ensure that sport reached  Harare’s 19 suburbs then.

“He was also instrumental in organising the Annual Olympic Day which is a feature on our sporting calendar. His contribution to sport and recreation was undoubtedly immense as he was dedicated to community development through sport,” said the Commission’s acting director general, Joseph Muchechetere.

He said Malianga’s  relationship with the SRC dated back to the 1990s when the SRC was running the Sport for All Programme where he was the chief focal point person for the partnership with  the SRC and covered  the then Central Region (Harare, Chitungwiza and Norton).

“Malianga  was not only an avid sportsperson but was also an astute sports administrator and this resulted in him rising through the leadership ranks to become the president of the Zimbabwe Boxing Association  and the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee as a Board member responsible for the Sports For All Commission until 2015,” said Muchechetere.

Burial arrangements will be announced in due course. — @skhumoyo2000.