Lovemore Zigara in Gweru
LEGENDARY former three-time Commonwealth boxing champion Langton “Schoolboy” Tinago has formed Ascot Boxing Club to nurture talented young boxers.
The club already has 25 boxers ahead of its scheduled official launch on April 30.
Tinago said the club’s short-term objectives are to ensure that they secure sponsorship to acquire requisite boxing equipment.
“Our short-term plans are to ensure that we secure sponsorship for our club so that we acquire boxing equipment for us to have proper training equipment. After that, we also want to transform the club into a boxing academy. We want to do this with a view of ensuring that we don’t have boxers that remain in the amateur ranks, but turn professional,” said Tinago, flanked by the boxing club’s secretary Tererai Mudyanadzo.
Tinago bemoaned the absence of boxing promoters in the country, which he blamed for the premature end of talented pugilists’ careers.
“If nothing is done then boxing will collapse in the country. We have a lot of talented boxers in the amateur ranks that have failed to turn professional because there hasn’t been a single professional tournament for the past two years. This is killing the sport and there is therefore a need to have people like Stalin Mau Mau returning to the sport.”
Tinago’s son, Brilard, who won a gold medal at the National Youth Games three years ago, has quit boxing after turning professional only to fail to get any professional fight.
Tinago, one of the most successful boxers in the history of the country, was a rare prized fighter who won a Commonwealth title a record four times, including the last one at the age of 37.