Zim boxer for world title

Sport
NEWLY-crowned African Boxing Union (ABU) welterweight champion Charles Manyuchi has set his sights on the prestigious World Boxing Council (WBC) title.

NEWLY-crowned African Boxing Union (ABU) welterweight champion Charles Manyuchi has set his sights on the prestigious World Boxing Council (WBC) title.

DANIEL NHAKANISO

The Masvingo-based pugilist knocked out Burkina Faso champion Patrice Sou Toke in the fifth round of the 12-round bout to claim the coveted ABU welterweight title in Ouagadougou last Friday.

Speaking in Zambia after his arrival from Burkina Faso, Manyuchi said he would work hard to ensure he defends the title on September 28.

Manyuchi will defend his title against a yet-to-be-named opponent in Zambia in September, the same day Zambian boxer Catherine Phiri will be fighting for the ABU title against South Africa’s Gibisele Tshabalala.

The Zimbabwean boxer, fighting under Oriental Quarries Boxing Stables (OQBS) from Zambia, said his target was to fight for the WBC title and thanked his Zambian team of coach Mike Zulu and manager Chris Malunga for coming up with a training programme that saw him knock out Toke.

“Winning the title is difficult and so is defending it, but let me assure you that I will not give up the title that easily, as I want to win the WBC title,” Manyuchi told the Times of Zambia.

Manyuchi’s manager Malunga, also the OQBS operations manager, said winning an ABU title was the getaway to fighting for the WBC title and that was why the stable wanted Catherine to win the continental belt to have the chance to challenge for the WBC title.

“Fighting for the WBC title is the ultimate goal for every boxer and this is why we are happy that we reclaimed this ABU title that was painfully taken away from us in Morocco. This is why we want Catherine to win the ABU title as that is the getaway towards fighting for the WBC belt,” he said.

Malunga said Manyuchi’s victory had put both Zimbabwe and Zambia back on the world map as he won a lot of admirers during his heroic performance in Burkina Faso.

“Even the ABU president Houcine Houichi was impressed with Manyuchi’s impressive showing and also that the stable has continued to promote the sport. He (Houichi) said he would be coming for the September international tournament,” he added.