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Charles Manyuchi

Augustine Hwata Sports Reporter
WORLD Boxing Council international welterweight champion Charles Manyuchi appears to have issued conflicting statements leading to the strain on his relationship with Zambian handlers Oriental Quarries Boxing Promotions.The boxer had been insisting that he was misquoted by the journalists who covered his welcome party in Masvingo last week and even produced a video clip to back his claims. But it turned out that the video clip he presented in his defence was only of the official speech he made at the function held at Charles Austin Theatre before he went on to speak to journalists on the sidelines.

On Monday, Manyuchi produced a video clip in which he was saying he was happy to be honoured by the Government and called for more support, even from the corporate world, for boxing.

At the same function, Masvingo mayor, Hubert Pfidze, claimed Manyuchi was getting a raw deal because he was fighting for a foreign stable yet the Zambians fighters were getting more rewards.

However, it was in an interview Manyuchi held at the sidelines of the function, which was not captured on his video, he made the statements that have torched the storm. The pugilists claimed that he could be earning more if he had changed his nationality to be a Zambian, a statement he is now denying.

“In Zambia, they recognise their boxers. When I am in the main fight, a person who fights in the undercard gets paid five times than what I earn. The problem is because I am foreigner. I feel pained because I am known outside Zimbabwe yet I do not get any recognition here at home. From all the fights, I have fought from DRC up to now, few people notice the achievements. They (Zambian) said they cannot offer me big money unless I changed citizenship.

“Maybe if I changed citizenship, I could be driving by now,”  Manyuchi told the journalists in Masvingo.