HARARE —
The Zimbabwe National Boxing Board of Control has withdrawn the license of Deltaforce Boxing Trust, the only operational boxing promotion company in the country.
The rules that govern boxing in Zimbabwe are clear that a promoter who wants to stage a fight or a tournament has to pay a sanction fee of $300.
On November 2, last year, Deltaforce Boxing Trust staged a local tournament at the City Sports Centre in Harare to replace the aborted World Boxing Union bantamweight title fight between Zimbabwe's Tapiwa Tembo and Zambia's Gibson Tembo.
According to information at hand, the promoters promised to pay the Zimbabwe National Boxing Board of Control the $300 sanction fee after the tournament.
But the secretary general of the boxing controlling body, Gilbert Munetsi, said four months down the line the promoters have not yet honored their promise and efforts to have them pay have yielded no results.
Munesti said after countless appeals to the promoters, the boxing board had no option but to cancel Deltaforce's licence as they had not followed laid down rules.
The boxing supremo said even if they pay the sanctions fee it will not be a foregone conclusion that Deltaforce will have their licence renewed.
However, Clyde Musonda of Deltaforce has laughed off the suspension saying his company would appeal against the licence withdrawal as there was a break in communication, adding that they are willing to pay their dues.
He says he has not been able to respond to communication from the board because he has been in and out of the country as he was busy helping Zambia's Oriental Boxing Promotions in organizing Charles Manyuchi's World Boxing Council International bantamweight title.
Musonda claims he has been moving around the country with Manyuchi trying to mobilize support for the Zimbabwean ahead of the world title fight in which he was supported by many Zimbabweans who travelled to Lusaka by bus.
Musonda, a former All Africa Games medalist, is a Zambian national based in Zimbabwe, and is close to Manyuchi's promoter Christopher Malunga.
The suspension of Deltaforce comes after Zimbabwe failed to find a promoter to bankroll the World Boxing Federation Inter-Continental heavyweight title fight between Zimbabwe's South Africa-based Elvis Moyo and Zambia's Francis Galagata Zulu.
The World Boxing Federation had offered Moyo the chance to defend his title in Zimbabwe.
The rules that govern boxing in Zimbabwe are clear that a promoter who wants to stage a fight or a tournament has to pay a sanction fee of $300.
On November 2, last year, Deltaforce Boxing Trust staged a local tournament at the City Sports Centre in Harare to replace the aborted World Boxing Union bantamweight title fight between Zimbabwe's Tapiwa Tembo and Zambia's Gibson Tembo.
According to information at hand, the promoters promised to pay the Zimbabwe National Boxing Board of Control the $300 sanction fee after the tournament.
But the secretary general of the boxing controlling body, Gilbert Munetsi, said four months down the line the promoters have not yet honored their promise and efforts to have them pay have yielded no results.
Munesti said after countless appeals to the promoters, the boxing board had no option but to cancel Deltaforce's licence as they had not followed laid down rules.
The boxing supremo said even if they pay the sanctions fee it will not be a foregone conclusion that Deltaforce will have their licence renewed.
However, Clyde Musonda of Deltaforce has laughed off the suspension saying his company would appeal against the licence withdrawal as there was a break in communication, adding that they are willing to pay their dues.
He says he has not been able to respond to communication from the board because he has been in and out of the country as he was busy helping Zambia's Oriental Boxing Promotions in organizing Charles Manyuchi's World Boxing Council International bantamweight title.
Musonda claims he has been moving around the country with Manyuchi trying to mobilize support for the Zimbabwean ahead of the world title fight in which he was supported by many Zimbabweans who travelled to Lusaka by bus.
Musonda, a former All Africa Games medalist, is a Zambian national based in Zimbabwe, and is close to Manyuchi's promoter Christopher Malunga.
The suspension of Deltaforce comes after Zimbabwe failed to find a promoter to bankroll the World Boxing Federation Inter-Continental heavyweight title fight between Zimbabwe's South Africa-based Elvis Moyo and Zambia's Francis Galagata Zulu.
The World Boxing Federation had offered Moyo the chance to defend his title in Zimbabwe.