Zimpapers Logo

Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter

WORLD Boxing Council (WBC) interim super-bantamweight champion Kudakwashe “Take-Money” Chiwandire doesn’t mince her words when it comes to child marriages.

She is a victim of the vice and yesterday she floored her gloves to lecture students at Destiny Achievers Group of Schools on the dangers of early indulgence.

Her moving message coincided with UNICEF’s commemoration of the Day of the African Child in which the agency is spearheading the end of child marriages which are so rampant in this country.

According to statistics, one in every three women aged between 20-48 years married before the age of 18, narrowing their chance to acquire sufficient life skills.

Chiwandire is also a victim after she was married at the age of 17 in 2013 with the union blessed with a child who, unfortunately, died in 2014. The 26-year-old female boxer would eventually break from that abusive marriage in which her husband made her wake up early in the morning and be made to run from Dzivaresekwa to Harare CBD as “training” after she joined the karate style of kyokushin.

“I am saying this so that you can take some life lessons from my experience. I would run to town everyday as part of my training. I had to do that because that is what he (her former husband) wanted,” said Chiwandire.

“I had a child in 2013 and we lost the child a year later. It was tough as I had been to soccer and kyokushin. You girls need to be very careful. We are saying no child under the age of 18 should get married.”

Chiwandire is preparing for her title defence against Mexican Zulina Munoz in Harare on August 20.

And she challenged young girls to be focused if they want to attain their dreams.

“You should listen to your parents; you will reach a point when you will not be expected to depend on your parents.

“You should thrive to do well in both class and extra-curricular activities. Girls you shouldn’t be carefree. You need to be very careful to avoid debilitating teen pregnancies.

“If you love sports, please follow your passion as sport can be an avenue to a better life.

“Sport is (now) a big industry and a prominent employer so you should as well pursue sport as much as you do academics.

“You need to be a disciplined someone to reach your goals.

“You need to develop that passion. I reached where I am today because I never looked back once I started boxing.”

Chiwandire has since started intensive training with the WBC appointing South African top official Thabo Spampool as the referee of the August 20 fight.

“In accordance with instructions given by WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman, we are informing you that the following ring officials have been appointed to the fight for the interim World Super-bantamweight title fight between Kudakwashe Chiwandire and Zulina Munoz to be held on August 20, 2022, in Zimbabwe.

“Thabo Spampool will be the referee,” said WBC in a letter.

Meanwhile, Chiwandire’s opponent has declared war against the Zimbabwean.

“I am Zulina Munoz, unseated on my throne of Queen, so be prepared for a war on August 20. “The fans will enjoy this fight because you are a very good fighter but I am ready to take this beautiful belt away from you and take it to Mexico.

“Kudakwashe (Chiwandire), you must be ready for a war on August 20. My experience and punch will make a difference so be prepared.”

Chiwandire won the WBC belt after defeating Zambia’s Catherine Phiri on February 26 in Lusaka, Zambia.

She won the fight on points.