MUKWIMA CHILALA writes
@SunZambian
PREPARATIONS for the much-anticipated fight between Zambia’s Hillary Kataya of Inter-Xity Boxing academy and Malawian US-based boxer Hannock Phiri slated for Mulungushi International Conference Centre next Saturday have reached an advanced stage.
Academy director Francis Muchemwa said the budget for the fight was K700, 000 of which they had raised K450 000 and only remaining with a shortfall of K250, 000.
Muchemwa said the tournament which has attracted eight other fights was 80 percent ready and was only remaining with 20 percent of the final touches.
He said the ministry of sport had pledged to help reduce the deficit but appealed to other institutions and individuals who also wished to come on board to do so by contributing towards the hosting of the event.
Muchemwa was speaking during unveiling of the World Professional Boxing Federation (WPBF) belt which arrived in Zambia on Friday and in which the main fighters of the tournament Kataya and Phiri were competing for.
He was excited that the belt had arrived in the Zambian capital and that it was not only a great moment for his promotions but Zambia as a whole.
He said his boxer would make sure that that the belt remained in Zambia by beating his US -based Malawian opponent.
“We can safely say that we are 80 percent ready and are just remaining with about 20 percent in final touches, usually when you are getting towards the end things look so hard but at this point in time I think I should just say we are left with about 20 percent to go,”
“Our total budget is about K700 00 of which we have managed to raise about K450 000 with a deficit of about K250 000 but the Ministry of sport came through saying they are going to help us and we are just waiting on them,” Muchemwa said.
The boxing tournament is being held in collaboration with the ministry of health under the theme ‘kicking out malaria’.
