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Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO Amateur Boxing Association (BABA) will on Saturday hold its fifth bill of the year at Manor Hotel, with the sport enthusiasts guaranteed of at least 15 potentially pulsating bouts.
The competition will be used to identify boxers to represent Bulawayo Metropolitan Province at this year’s Zimbabwe National Youth Games to be held in Masvingo in August.

BABA vice-chairman Ezwell Ndlovu said they have invited Gwanda and Gweru to participate at the competition.
According to Ndlovu, Gwanda has confirmed that it will bring female boxers.

“In our last competition our female boxers failed to get any fights because there were no challengers but we are happy that Gwanda which is the hub for Team Matabeleland South has said they are sending their pugilists so that they prepare for the Zimbabwe National Youth Games.

The tournament that we are going to hold at Manor Hotel is open to all amateur boxers and we believe that the more the boxers, the more the fun.
“As for young boxers, they must know that time is running out before we finalise the team for the Youth Games and it is only through participating at these tournaments that one can be identified to represent Bulawayo.

“Remember there are Region Five Games that will be held later this year and already we have started identifying boxers so those that are interested must attend our competitions,” said Ndlovu.

Boxers from Bulawayo clubs Nketa, Nkulumane, Tshaka, Lobengula, Luveve’s Percy, HQ One Brigade, Young Arts and Bulawayo West will battle it out in different divisions.

Samson Masiyambumbi and his brother Brighton who represented Zimbabwe at the Youth Championships in Poland last year are top boxers from Nketa with Mandla Madzivanyika set to lead Nkulumane while Casper Mnkandla who is yet to lose a game since the start of the year, is one of the boxers to watch from HQ One Brigade.

Lobengula is expected to pin its hopes on young and exciting Cecil Toto who is proving to be hot to handle in the welterweight division and lost by points to Samson in March.

Last year’s Zimbabwe National Youth Games medallists Elizabeth Moyo, Amanda Dube, Thenjiwe Foloma, Brian Ndlovu, Mbongeni Masuku and Stephen Ndlovu will lead Percy Boxing Club with Bulawayo West’s finest boxer being Professor Ndlovu.

Veteran trainer Philip “Striker” Ndlovu of Tshaka will unleash Andile Ncube who is said to be following on the footsteps of Meluleki Ngulube and Ntando Sibanda who have since turned professional.