Thamsanqa Dube out of belated Independence Boxing tourney Thamsanqa Dube
Thamsanqa Dube

Thamsanqa Dube

Ricky Zililo Sports Reporter
BLACK Fist Promotions have ditched Zimbabwe’s top heavyweight pugilist Thamsanqa Dube from the belated Independence Boxing tournament due to lack of resources.

Dube was supposed to fight 22-year-old Cowdray Park boxer, Trevor Mpofu who challenged the Zimbabwean champion at the beginning of the year.

Renowned boxing promoter Boris Zneider said the competition, meant to celebrate Zimbabwe’s 35 years of independence, has been further postponed to June 6 from May 16.

The bout will be held at Harare’s City Sports Centre.

Zneider who claims to be staging “a tournament to remember” said boxers from Botswana have withdrawn and the competition will only have a female pugilist from Zambia and a few from Malawi.

“The reason why we’ve further postponed the tournament is that some companies that we engaged said they’re going to release funding during the course of May. We’ve now moved the tournament to June 6 because of sponsorship issues. It’s unfortunate that we’ve had delays but still this will be a fight to remember,” Zneider said.

“However, those who were looking forward to Thamsanqa fighting will have to wait a little bit longer because he isn’t part of the list of boxers to fight. Because of the thin budget that we have, we’ve been forced not to include his fight.”

The Black Fist promoter said he has already sealed deals with boxers who will exchange blows on June 6.

Among those that signed contracts are Bulawayo trio – Dumezweni Ntuliki, Lovewell Maphosa and Nowell Mpofu of Makokoba’s Tshaka Youth Centre.

Nowell will trade leather in the main bout against Harare’s Wesley Madade. They will fight in an eight-round light-heavyweight division. Nowell last fought in 2013, losing to Trevor.

Ntuliki and Maphosa who were initially set to face Batswana opponents will now be fighting Malawian boxers in non-title supporting bouts in the lightweight and super bantamweight divisions.

Maphosa’s last match was in 2008 while Ntuliki last stepped in the boxing ring to trade leather with an opponent in 2009.

Bulawayo’s veteran trainer Phillip “Striker” Ndlovu said his match-starved boxers are itching to get into the ring.

“Obviously the boxers get upset when fights are postponed but everybody knows that the promoter is doing his best to get the guys in the ring. My boxers are ready to fight. They’ve been out of action for a while and are determined to make a memorable comeback,” said Ndlovu.

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