The Sunday Mail
By Langton Nyakwenda
13 January 2013
Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart’s task of naming the new boxing board could be an easy one following revelations that some names forwarded by the militant Zimbabwe Boxing Committee (ZBC) are the same as those already recommended by the Sports and Recreation Commission.
Coltart was supposed to announce the new office bearers to take charge of professional boxing last Friday, but was compelled to put on hold the move after stakeholders of the sport asked to be involved in the selection process.
The ZBC forwarded their list last Wednesday and the minister acknowledged receipt of the recommendations whilst the SRC had already sent their proposed candidates in November last year.
Coltart told The Sunday Mail Sport yesterday that he will now announce the new board within the next 14 days as he has set January 24 deadline for the finalisation of the entire process.
Sources close to the developments exclusively disclosed to The Sunday Mail Sport that three of the names submitted by the SRC for consideration also appear on the list submitted to the minister by the ZBC.
Though the sources were not at liberty to reveal the identity of the trio, it is believed that one of them is Dr Farai Muchena. The medical practitioner, who once promoted boxing through his Hunyani Boxing Promotions banner, is the sole candidate with medical expertise and knowledge of the sport.
The Boxing Act states that one of the five board members should be a medical doctor by profession. Further investigations by this paper unearthed that two of the eight names submitted by the SRC belong to the Zimbabwe Amateur Boxing Association (ZABA) — a scenario that might not go down well with the professional boxers who form a separate entity from ZABA.
ZABA is an affiliate of the SRC with its own structures separate from those of the Zimbabwe National Boxing and Wrestling Board is a stand-alone board with its own organogram.
The only headache the minister is likely to have, according to sources, is that candidates on either list are mainly from a technical background with their resumes conspicuous by lack of administrative skills. “The unfortunate thing is that most, if not all, of the candidates are coaches, promoters or former boxers. But what is needed at the moment are people capable of marketing the sport, creating networks with the rest of the boxing world as well as looking into the welfare of boxers,†said the sources.
Besides Dr Muchena, the other names sent to the minister by the ZBC include Ed Hammond (trainer), Thomas Kambuyi (trainer), Denver Wynne (trainer), Wesley McDade (boxer), Stalin Mau Mau (promoter) and Lorraine Muringi, who is also an acclaimed boxing promoter.
Coltart said he was still in the process of marrying the two lists and would announce the board after consultations with the Principal Director of Sport in the ministry, Rev Paul Damasane, and the SRC. “I am looking at the CVs right now and I need some time to consolidate the two lists. I am looking forward to appointing a board of people with boxing interest, good administrative skills and those who were actually involved in the sport that is the former boxers and promoters. “I will also strive to strike a regional balance and also look into the issue of gender balance as well. The board should reflect all the different facets,†said Coltart.
Muringi, who is the only female candidate appearing on the lists, has an impressive Curriculum Vitae, which this paper viewed. It includes promotion of successful local and international tournaments, awards as well as attendance at elite world boxing conventions.