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Ellina Mhlanga Senior Sports Reporter

AFTER more than a year of inactivity, the Zimbabwe Boxing Federation are on Saturday expected to host their first national tournament in Victoria Falls.

All provinces have been invited for the tournament that will mark the return of the sport after the Covid-19 pandemic induced break.

ZBF technical director, Steven Masiyambumbi, said it is going to be their first event after more than a year without competition.

“We will start the weigh-in at 7am at Vitoria Falls Boxing Academy gym, and the tournament will start at 11am at Shoestrings Backpackers Lodge.

“We have invited all the provinces including the Zimbabwe National Army and Airforce of Zimbabwe but with a limited number since we have to stick to the Covid-19 regulations.

“We are expecting to have 25 bouts in all categories – juniors, youth and elite boxers – including female boxers.

“This is our first tournament since last year. We had only one tournament before the Olympic Qualifiers in Senegal, so this tournament has come at such a time when most boxers had lost hope,” said Masiyambumbi.

After missing qualification to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Masiyambumbi said they need to start looking at developmental programmes for the next Games.

“This is a very important tournament for us as a nation. Even though we failed to have boxers to represent us at the Olympic Games, it’s not the end of the road. We still have more international events and our main focus now is to build a team for the next Olympic Games and put more effort on the developmental programmes.

“I am happy that it’s now serious business, thanks to the Ministry of Sports and SRC for allowing us to have a tournament,” added Masiyambumbi.

The tournament will be held under strict Covid-19 regulations.

“Every boxer, and officials must be tested for Covid-19 and produce a negative certificate, without this document you won’t be allowed inside the venue or near the venue. We don’t want to kill our athletes and officials,” said Masiyambumbi.