HARARE —
Zimbabwean boxer Tapiwa Tembo, who is based in South Africa, has arrived in Zimbabwe for his crack at the World Boxing Union bantamweight title.
Tembo is expected to fight Zambia’s Gibson Kamota on October 26th for the vacant World Boxing Union bantamweight title at the City Sports Centre in Harare in the first international bout to be held in Zimbabwe in more than 10 years.
The title fell vacant after the German holder was stripped of the belt by the WBU after failing to defend it within the mandatory 90 days, leaving Tembo and Kamota the two top contenders.
Tembo says training equipment in Zimbabwe is way behind that in South Africa. The boxer says he has come early in order to get used to the Zimbabwean weather and also prepare for the fight with local boxers.
Fit and looking strong, Tembo says it has been his dream to fight for a world title.
Tembo’s trainer is Zambia’s former All-Africa Games silver medalist Clyde Musonda, who says his boxer will be ready for the big fight.
Musonda says the world title bout will go a long way in changing the face of Zimbabwean boxing which has declined during the past 10 years.
German referee, Arno Portrandt, will handle the fight which will also have an array of international judges on the panel, including South Africa’s Alfred Baquah and Astridah Mwale.
WBU president Torsten Knille is also expected to grace the occasion.
Should Tembo win the title, he will become the second Zimbabwean boxer this year to win a recognised international title following Charles Manyuchi’s victory in the welterweight Africa Boxing Union match in July after knocking out Burkina Faso’s Patrice Sou Toke.
Tembo is expected to fight Zambia’s Gibson Kamota on October 26th for the vacant World Boxing Union bantamweight title at the City Sports Centre in Harare in the first international bout to be held in Zimbabwe in more than 10 years.
The title fell vacant after the German holder was stripped of the belt by the WBU after failing to defend it within the mandatory 90 days, leaving Tembo and Kamota the two top contenders.
Tembo says training equipment in Zimbabwe is way behind that in South Africa. The boxer says he has come early in order to get used to the Zimbabwean weather and also prepare for the fight with local boxers.
Fit and looking strong, Tembo says it has been his dream to fight for a world title.
Tembo’s trainer is Zambia’s former All-Africa Games silver medalist Clyde Musonda, who says his boxer will be ready for the big fight.
Musonda says the world title bout will go a long way in changing the face of Zimbabwean boxing which has declined during the past 10 years.
German referee, Arno Portrandt, will handle the fight which will also have an array of international judges on the panel, including South Africa’s Alfred Baquah and Astridah Mwale.
WBU president Torsten Knille is also expected to grace the occasion.
Should Tembo win the title, he will become the second Zimbabwean boxer this year to win a recognised international title following Charles Manyuchi’s victory in the welterweight Africa Boxing Union match in July after knocking out Burkina Faso’s Patrice Sou Toke.
