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Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls 

WORLD Boxing Council (WBC) vice-president and Africa Boxing Union (ABU) president, Houcine Houchi, arrived in Victoria Falls yesterday ahead of the WBC All-Africa Officials Training and Grading Workshop and ABU convention starting on Monday.

He was welcomed at Victoria Falls International Airport  by Zimbabwe National Boxing and Wrestling Control Board (ZNBWCB) chief executive, Lawrence Zimbudzana, and Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Matabeleland North deputy director, Tinashe Manjeru, and other local officials.

The WBC training workshop will run from Monday to Wednesday while the ABU convention will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday at Kingdom Hotel.

Houchi will preside over both proceedings. 

It is his first time in Victoria Falls and he immediately loved the destination and pledged to visit again.

“We’ve just arrived and the weather is good. This is my first time in Zimbabwe and I hope it will not be the last one. We are here for two events and the main one for us is the convention and congress for the African Boxing Union.

“All preparations have been made. I had to come a few days before the event to arrange the final things but I was always in contact with Lawrence (Zimbudzana) and everything is ready,” he said.

Houchi said more than 100 foreign delegates are expected in Victoria Falls for the event next week.

The event is a rare opportunity for sports tourism and will help tell the Zimbabwe story to the outside world, as well as to position the country through sports tourism.

The Government is trying to promote sports tourism in the country as sport is considered a cross cutting issue as a vehicle to achieve socio-economic goals.

It is also an opportunity for local boxers and officials to get international recognition as there will be a boxing tournament pitting amateur bouts and at least seven professional fights.

The workshop will target boxing technical officials from African countries and affiliates from other WBC regions.

Delegates from 17 countries – South Africa, Botswana, Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Namibia, Cameroon, Egypt, Zambia, Zimbabwe, DRC, Ghana, Mali, USA, Morocco and Ireland – have confirmed their participation so far.

Houchi said he was optimistic the two events will be a success.

“This is a platform to, among other things, update ring officials and boxers about rules so they can perform better not only locally but even on international fights. 

“Everything we are doing is being put on the WBC website and this is good because it puts Zimbabwe on the picture. Everyone in the 175 countries where boxing is, will see that it is happening in Zimbabwe,” he said.

The official opening will be held on Wednesday and will be presided over by a high profile dignitary, Zimbudzana said.

He said the venue is ready and all the logistical and fundamental preparations are in place.

“We are quite happy, and we are ready to start receiving our delegates and attending to their itinerary. Some are coming on the 24th (tomorrow) ahead of the workshop that is going to start on the 25th (Monday) as well as the ABU delegates who are going to be checking in on the 25th and the convention that is going to start on the 26th ending on July 27,” said Zimbudzana.

He said it is the first time Zimbabwe have hosted such a high profile boxing event since 1956.

Zimbudzana said the idea was to position Victoria Falls as a possible host for many other upcoming mega events, seminars and tournaments related to boxing.

Using sport as a vehicle to alleviate poverty and addressing some issues like drug abuse, is in line with the National Development Strategy 1, Zimbudzana said.