Another Test for Mbwana

The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)

Majuto Omary

30 April 2011

Dar es Salaam — The PTA Hall will today be the centre of a real battle as it hosts a fight featuring Universal Boxing Organisation bantamweight champion Tanzanian Mbwana Matumla and Kenya’s Gabriel Ochieng.

Organised by promoter Leonidas Kabanga, the anxiously awaited fight will be preceded by six undercards, according to Pugilist Syndicate of Tanzania (PST) president Emmanuel Mlundwa.Matumla, fondly referred to as “Golden Boy,” hasn’t scored a knockout in the recent past, but that didn’t stop him from boldly declaring yesterday that he’ll stop his Kenyan challenger in today’s fight.

“There is added pressure when you fight in your home. You get nervous because you don’t want to disappoint, but this will not stop me from outsmarting him, I am well prepared for the fight,” he said confidently. Matumla, who is widely credited for bringing back to Tanzania “the lost glory of professional boxing, has been shaping up in the city since last month under close supervision of Habib “Master” Kinyogoli.

For his part, Kinyogoli said he was optimistic his boxer would outshine the Kenyan today.”There’s no magic trick to this, tomorrow you are going to see Mbwana win the fight. He’s in great shape, looking forward to floor his challenger before the fourth round,” he said.

Matumla, once ranked No.5 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), is one of the most feared Bantamweight boxers in Africa. Mlundwa said preparations and logistics for the fight were in place and he asked boxing fans to turn up at the PTA Hall in large numbers today to cheer up the Tanzanian pugilist.

He said Fadhili Majia would face Kijepa Omari in the four-round flyweight bout in one of the undercards.

The day will also see Emmnuel Kayala take on Ambokile Chusa in the Light Middleweight bout, while Jaffar Majia will face Issa Sewe in the Lightweight bout.

The other undercards will pit Sadiki Momba against Jumanne Mohamed (Featherweight), John Mbwana versus Ally Mahiyo (Light flyweight) and Omari Zungu versus Fadhili Awadhi (Super featherweight).

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