Mwakinyo starts residential camp for WBF defence bout
Prominent Tanzanian professional boxer Hassan Mwakinyo (left) in a tussle with D R Congo boxer Tshibangu Kayembe in the WBF Intercontinental bout held at the Mlimani City hall in Dar es Salaam. Mwakinyo won on points. PHOTO | file
What you need to know:
Apart from defending the WBF title, Mwakinyo will also be fighting for the International Boxing Association (IBA) in a match organised by the Jackson Group (Sports).
Dar es Salaam. Prominent Tanzanian professional boxer Hassan Mwakinyo has camped in Lushoto in Tanga Region ahead of the World Boxing Federation (WBF) intercontinental super welterweight bout against Jose Carlos Paz of Argentine to be held on November 13 at the Next Door Arena in Masaki, Dar es Salaam.
Apart from defending the WBF title, Mwakinyo will also be aiming in the same fight for the International Boxing Association (IBA) title. The match has been organised by the Jackson Group (Sports). Speaking to The Citizen, Mwakinyo said he is now training in 15 rounds with his trainers aiming to do well in the bout. “Training by more than the normal rounds helps to gauge one’s endurance. My targets is to maintain the same standard from the first to the 12th round,” said Mwakinyo.
The weather in Lushoto is cold - which helps him to train and physically condition himself to keep his fighting pace.
According to Mwakinyo, he is honing his fighting skills in order to end the bout in the early rounds.
“I will be fighting a boxer who has featured in many fights. I have to be serious as I will be representing Tanzanians in the bout - all of them want me to win. But, you cannot win without training hard,” he said.
Apart from Tanzania and Argentina, the event will also feature boxers from Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya and DRC.
The Jackson Group (Sports) MD, Kelvin Twisa, said Mwakinyo is not alone in training camp, All the other boxers are also training for what is dubbed ‘Dar Fight Night.’ The occasion has been endorsed by WBF, IBA and the Tanzania Professional Boxing Regulatory Commission (TPBRC). He ‘Dar Fight Night’ will show-case the best of boxing, with representation from five countries: Argentina, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe and Tanzania. Apart from the main fight, Tanzanian Zulfa Yusufu Macho will fight Zimbabwean Alice Mbewe in a six-round Flyweight. Zulfa will be fighting her first international bout in her career.
The boxer is the daughter of former national soccer team (Taifa Stars) player Yusuph Macho.
One bout will be Abdallah Pazi (alias Dulla Mbabe) against DRC Congo’s Alex Kabangu, in a 10-round Super Middleweight fight. Former WBC Bantamweight belt holder from Kenya, Fatuma Zarika will take on Patience Mastara from Zimbabwe in an eight-round bantamweight match.
