The Sunday News
Leonard Ncube, Sunday Life Correspondent
BOXING is one sport whose existence isn’t given the respect it deserves and those involved in it not taken seriously.
For multi-talented Gabriel Moyo, the sport runs in the blood and it is the passion that has kept him in it for four decades. In him, the country has one of the finest brains in sport administration and training, as besides now being an international referee and judge, he has held very senior positions in the administration of boxing and bodybuilding in the country.
Despite the numerous challenges such as lack of corporate and financial support, Moyo, whose name also features in basketball, bodybuilding, wrestling, soccer, athletics and volleyball, feels there is a bright future to the sport, with corporate support.
Sunday Life Sport caught up with Moyo (59), who last month was confirmed an international referee and judge after undergoing training in Malawi. Moyo has combined efforts with some experts in the sport to establish the Victoria Falls Boxing Academy with the aim of developing the sport in the resort town and also make a meaningful contribution to the town’s tourism sector.
The academy has 25 athletes, aged between five and 30 and has so far organised a number of fundraising bouts.
“When I moved to Victoria Falls in 2014, I noticed there was not much sporting activity to keep youths off crime. Together with Chivasa Magara, Alfos Sibanda, Tobias Muposiwa and Brian Kamugenjo we started a process of establishing boxing in the resort town and we have founded Victoria Falls Boxing Academy which has hosted regular tourneys at Shoestrings. Boxing is sometimes underrated but with the right support it can transform Victoria Falls,” said Moyo.
Moyo, the first ever black person to head Zimbabwe Amateur Boxing and Judges Board in 1984, the year he was Zimbabwe Amateur Boxing Assistant National Coach and hosted World Heavyweight Champion Floyd Patterson during his historic visit to Zimbabwe, believes now it’s time boxing is taken as business.
Then the Zimbabwe Amateur Boxing Association (Zaba) comprised Moyo as assistant coach, national boxing coach Tom Ferreira, Denis Mudara as National chairman, Andrew Maseko (Secretary), the late Remus Machokoto as Treasurer and Andy Ferreira as committee member.
“I recently attended the African Boxing Union convention in Malawi where I was registered fully as an international referee and judge under the auspices of World Boxing Council.
“I think this is the best platform for the African boxing fraternity to network for development of the sport and we wish the commercial sector could team up with us to make Victoria Falls a better place,” said Moyo.
He added: “I am now an official referee and judge at international level and can now officiate at all African Boxing Union tournaments. There is a slight shift of the status quo as amateur and professional boxing are now sort of amalgamated and the World Boxing Council, with 168 affiliated member countries, has come up with its own amateur programme to groom boxers.
This is a new development which I feel even our local leadership should be appraised of.”
As vice-president of the Zimbabwe Bodybuilding Association in 1986, Moyo hosted the first ever visit by Mr Universe, Frank Richards to Zimbabwe.
Under his belt, the former amateur boxer, a conquer at club level boasts of having been trained by some of the best world coaches in the World, namely Patterson, the former heavyweight and former Olympic coach Hamilton in Tanzania .
Outside the sport of boxing, the multi-talented athlete is credited for the formation of Bulawayo’s volleyball club Sparrows Thabani whose name was coined by him and Sparks Basketball club.
Moyo was also into wrestling, martial arts and soccer and in 1982 he was employed by Bulawayo City Council in the Housing and Community Department sports section, alongside Dennis Mudara and veteran soccer administrator Barry Daka.
“I did a number of sporting disciplines and used to beat a number of amateurs. In soccer I learnt a lot from Barry Daka, Peter Nyama and Shepherd Murape who trained us as Zifa coaches where I got an elementary coaching certificate but my passion was in boxing. I cherish the match between Olympics and Caps United in the 1980s when Daka, then a player coach, scored from the corner kick.
“I also trained National and African Boxing Union Heavyweight champion Thamsanqa Dube for some of his crucial fights and I identified, introduced and coached Gardner Ndingwa, a fitter and turner who became the only guy who lasted 12 rounds against the number one heavyweight contender (Tham),” added Moyo.
He coached Proud Kilimanjaro Chinembiri in his victorious return fight against Mike Simwelu of Zambia and has also worked with Malawi-based Zimbabwean coach Clyde Musonda.
The all round sportsman also advocates for youth development through sport as he has included campaigns against hooliganism, drug abuse, alcoholism and immorality in his programmes.
As if to show that boxing runs in his blood, Moyo’s 20 year-old son Emmanuel 20, who is based in South Africa is also “seriously” training in boxing.
But how did Moyo roll his sleeves for boxing?
He says growing up as a Bulawayo boy, he took seriously sporting activities offered at youth clubs.
“I was born and bred in Bulawayo and spent most of my youthful life at various Bulawayo Municipal Youth Clubs with my passion on Wafa-Wafa boxing. At some point I left boxing for martial arts where I graduated to 2nd Dan Black Belt instructor and represented the country at international level.
“In 1982 I was coach of Mzilikazi Amateur Boxing Club and was also employed by Bulawayo City Council Housing and Community Department in the sports section, alongside Dennis Mudara as Head of department Assisted by Barry Daka where I was responsible for promoting boxing, martial arts, bodybuilding and wrestling,” he said.
It was in 1983 when Moyo attained his first club referees and judges’ certificate before being appointed Zimbabwe Amateur Boxing Assistant National Coach the following year when he was part of the team that hosted the World Heavyweight Patterson.
In 1984 Moyo was the first black to head Zimbabwe Amateur Boxing and Judges Board, the same year he also became vice president of Zimbabwe Body Building Association.
In 1985 he attended his first Olympic coaching course in Tanzania and was best candidate.
Between 1989 and 2004 Moyo was involved in the country’s local and regional bouts as an official as he rose to professional level in boxing while co-ordinating a number of events between Zimbabwe and Botswana, Namibia and Zambia. He has also been on talent identification and development of the sport in Matabeleland South based in Gwanda before moving to Victoria Falls.
In 2004 he was appointed Zimbabwe Boxing Control Board’s representative in charge of Bulawayo, Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North and the following year facilitated a tournament between local amateurs and the Namibian Amateur Boxing team in Hwange.He was the country’s head of national teams in international games in 2005 before moving to Botswana where in 2007 where he initiated the Nyangabwe Boxing Club in Francistown alongside former Welter Weight — champion Moses Kamera.
At the recent African Boxing Union Convention, Moyo was the sixth best student out of 35 participants. The convention is there to afford those in the fraternity to mix and mingle for the development of the sport.
Moyo feels women are aren’t active in the sport, as the Victoria Falls academy has only one woman in its ranks.
Victoria Falls Boxing Academy trains at Mosi-oa-Tunya High School while bouts are held at Shoestrings. The academy borrows equipment from Hwange because of financial problems. A tournament pitting amateur boxing clubs is on the cards at Shoestrings and Moyo called on “the corporate world to sponsor the sport as the current scenario is bad for sport.”
