The Sunday News
Tobias Mandoreba in Hwange
HWANGE-BASED Africa Zone 4 amateur boxing champion Future Maziya is basking in glory of his exploits in Mozambique but has also been quick to send out an appeal for sponsorship to enable him to scale heights in his promising career.
The 25-year-old pugilist made Matabeleland North province and the nation proud when he brought home a gold medal in the welterweight division from the Zone 4 championships which ran from 21 to 26 February and featured boxers from hosts Mozambique, Botswana, Seychelles, Lesotho, Swaziland, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
“I am still on cloud nine after the recent success in Maputo which saw me qualify for the Commonwealth Games set for Australia next year. I am continuing with training but my biggest challenge is training equipment which include gloves, head guards, speed balls and a boxing kit and I pray and hope I can soon get sound sponsorship from corporates or individuals to enable me to prepare for the upcoming international tournaments like the Commonwealth one if we happen to get Government approval to participate,’’ said Maziya.
“The issues of sponsorship in the sport has rather been a challenge and I am also grateful that Manyuchi Academy came to our rescue and assisted us to go and participate in Mozambique after some challenges of resources in the build up to that tournament. Unfortunately my fellow boxers like Obrian Magare, Ndodana Ncube and Anele Banana could not make it to Maputo but I am sure they would also have brought back medals like me. I also have a strong feeling that if the Hwange club is well funded the town can produce renowned boxers because there is abundant boxing talent around,’’ added Maziya.
Hwange-based national senior boxing coach Mphilisi Moyo, who discovered and nurtured Maziya’s talent from the tender age of 10, is optimistic Maziya will go far.
“I nurtured and guided the boy from junior, youth and senior and his dominance in past editions of National Youth Games and other national and regional tournaments where he won gold medals speaks volumes of his ability and I am confident he will go far as a boxer,” said Moyo.
Maziya is yearning to turn professional before the end of the year. Away from the ring, Maziya is a qualified registered general nurse working under the Hwange Colliery Hospital at Number One clinic.-@tobymandox
