22 March 2011
The Zambia Amateur Boxing Federation (ZABF) has unveiled a K40 million budget to enable seven boxers participate at next month’s Zone Four International tournament set for Namibia.
And ZABF has postponed its annual general meeting (AGM) due to the death of its treasurer Bernard Lukoshi, who died on Sunday at Konkola Mine Hospital in Chililabombwe after an illness.
Simpemba appealed to the corporate world to come on board and help in funding the team for the April 25-31 tournament which was a 2012 London Olympic Games qualifier.
The boxers are African light-middleweight champion, Benny Muziyo (Green Buffaloes), flyweight Obed Mutapa (Indeni), bantamweight Mumbela Mukuni (Maamba) and middleweight Godfrey Mumba (Kalewa).
Others are welterweight Gilbert Choombe (Maamba), light-welterweight Hector Mutole (Green Buffaloes) and lightweight Martin Chibela (Green Buffaloes).
Simpemba said the 2011 All Africa Games-bound boxers have moved to the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) in Lusaka to step up preparations.
He said ZABF was confident that the boxers picked would reap medals from Mozambique in September as they have gained necessary international exposure.
Simpemba called for massive investment into amateur boxing because the sport had for some time been winning medals for Zambia in various international competitions
Meanwhile, Simpemba said Lukoshi would be missed by the boxing fraternity for his immense contributions to the development of the sport following the demise of the mining conglomerate, Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM).
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