New Zimbabwe.Com
Xinhua
Posted to the web: 26/03/2009
ZIMBABWEAN boxers risk being permanently banned from all fights held under the auspices of the World Boxing Organisation following revelations that four out of six fighters who traveled for bouts in Namibia on March 21 failed their medical tests, reports said Wednesday.
Apart from supplying the tournament organisers with a match record that is impressive enough, it is also mandatory that boxers undergo tests for hepatitis B and HIV.
Two of the boxers, Isaac Phonkeni and Livingstone “Master” Kachigwada, were supposed to participate in WBO international title bouts in an event organised to coincide with that country’s Independence Day celebrations.
Nestor Tobias of Sunshine Boxing Academy was the promoter of the bill scheduled to have been held at the Windhoek Country Club Resort and Casino on the outskirts of the capital city.
Phonkeni had been matched against Jatoorora Tjingaveti for the lightweight title while Kachigwada had been penciled in to meet Paulus “Ali” Nuumbembe for the welterweight title.
The other boxers who failed the tests but were engaging in non-title fights were Blessing Moleni (bantamweight) and Tom Fernando (lightweight).
Zimbabwe’s state-run Herald newspaper says that the medical reports supplied to the WBO from Zimbabwe were probably tampered with and indicated the boxers were fit to take part when, in fact, they were not.
The boxers did not pass a test carried out by Dr Bernard Haufiku in Windhoek before the matches.
A fuming WBO Africa Zone representative, Andrew Smale, said his organisation would seek an audience with the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart following which the results of the investigations will be made public.
Phonkeni and Kachigwada, a bouncer at a nightspot in Harare, returned home on Monday without both the belts and the purse money they had traveled for.