TBF, Govt should strive towards reviving boxing

Leaders Club ground is the centre of attraction today as Tanzania’s super middleweight sensation, Francis Cheka, trades punches with Serbian Geard Ajetovic.

The two vie for the World Boxing Federation (WBF) intercontinental belt in a fight, which may evoke memories of Tanzania’s glorious days.

Cheka has fared quite well in the past five years, but even his exploits on the international scene have not been enough to inject life into this once popular sport. That boxing used to fill stadia is something to recall for those who were already grown up and following the sport in the 1970s and 80s.

Boxers like Titus Simba, Michael Yombayomba, Willy Isangura, Haji Matumla and Makoye Isangura made headlines with medals galore. They left indelible marks on international podia.

With the cancellation of sports programmes in schools in the late 1990s, boxing gradually slumped with our boxers becoming a laughing stock.

Those who follow boxing will admit that unless something happens urgently, the sport that gave Tanzania some of its greatest fighters will never come back on the rails anytime soon.

There is heavy investment in football. Boxing has been, so to speak, forgotten. Every boxer today takes a shortcut to professional boxing.

There is a need for a paradigm shift. The Tanzania Boxing Federation (TBF) should minimise its dependence on boxers from the army and set structures that will promote talented civilians.

The federation had planned to take boxing to the grassroots, starting with a few schools, but the idea never saw the light of day.

Even so, we can’t apportion all the blame on the TBF. The government has a share of it. Yes, the inter-school games have been re-introduced, but are not as vibrant as they used to be.

The TBF should also strive to lure sponsors back to the sport and encourage youngsters to take up boxing.

The passion is there and boxers are willing to work hard, but the creation of a conducive atmosphere is wanting.