MUKWIMA CHILALA writes
@SunZambian
MALAWI’S Hanock Phiri was on Saturday night crowned World Professional Boxing Federation champion after defeating Zambia’s Hillary Kataya of Inter-city Boxing Academy.
Phiri emerged victorious after fighting his Zambian opponent in a 12-round match at packed Mulungushi International Conference Centre.
The tournament was hosted by Lusaka’s Inter-city Boxing Academy in collaboration with Ministry of Health under the theme ‘Kick out Malaria’.
Phiri and Kataya were the main acts for the night as they competed for the vacant WPBF title in the boxing tournament which had eight other fights.
The highly anticipated Kataya vs Phiri contest lived up to its expectation with a display of highly charged exchanges of blows.
It was the Malawian, UK-based Phiri, who looked more determined to finish off the fight via a knockout even before the 12 rounds elapsed.
Phiri unleashed a punch which landed on Kataya’s left cheek sending the Zambian onto the canvass.
The Malawian followed it up with more punches on his opponent’s head who was still on the ground.
The game was halted for more than five minutes to attend to the shaken-looking Zambian boxer in the third round causing panic in the Zambian camp.
But the Inter-city boxer came back in the fourth round with some powered punches which could, however, not drop his Malawian opponent, who was equally up to the task.
With the match headed towards the last round, Zambia’s Kataya looked worn out much to the excitement of his Malawian opponent, who maintained his pace and kept charging with his powerful punches.
At the end of the 12th round, it was Phiri who emerged victorious, deservingly, against defiant Kataya.
“I’m very happy to have competed here in Zambia and winning this title. I’ll take it to Malawi so that everybody can see it,” Phiri said after the fight.
“I was told of this fight about three months ago, and since I had been preparing hard for it and from the word go I knew I would win it. To my opponent I think he is a good fighter and all he needs is to train harder.
Kataya could, however, not accept defeat saying he was robbed of the fight after his opponent hit him on the back of his head while on the ground without the officials halting the fight.
He said he would ask for a re-match so that he could prove he was equally a good boxer.
Meanwhile, Catherine Mulyata was crowned National Women Title champion after defeating Lumuno Siamuche on an unanimous decision.
