The Zimbabwe Boxing Wrestling Control Board has generated controversy with a new rule obliging all boxers to be tested for HIV and Hepatitis B before being licensed to box.
Some athletes have shied away from the sport since the testing requirement was introduced two weeks ago, while others have embraced the new procedure, saying it ensures a safe environment for boxing competitors given the risk of cuts bleeding during a bout.
The human immunodeficiency virus or HIV, infection with which usually leads to the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS, is transmitted through body fluids including blood.
Boxing and Wrestling Control Board Secretary Patrick Mkondiwa told reporter Marvellous Mhlanga-Nyahuye of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that the rule change merely brought Zimbabwe up to international standards.
