Zambian Boxing aims to break national African Games record in Accra

Zambian National Boxing Head Coach Wisdom Mudenda has revealed that the Zambian Boxing Team at the ongoing Accra 2023 African Games is on the verge of breaking the 29-year-old African Games record for Zambia by having more than four athletes in the medal brackets at the African Games.

Looking at the past ten editions, Zambia has only had four athletes in the medal brackets in two editions: the Cairo 1991 Games in Egypt and the Harare 1995 Games in Zimbabwe.

Boxing at the African Games since 1973:

1. Lagos 1973 in Nigeria: 1 gold, 1 bronze

2. Algiers 1978 in Algeria: 2 gold, 1 silver

3. Nairobi 1987 in Kenya: 1 bronze

4. Cairo 1991 in Egypt: 1 gold, 3 bronze

5. Harare 1995 in Zimbabwe: 2 silver, 2 bronze

6. Abuja 2003 in Nigeria: 2 bronze medals

7. Algiers 2007 in Algeria: 1 gold, 1 bronze

8. Maputo 2011 in Mozambique: no medal recorded

9. Brazzaville 2015 in Congo Brazzaville: 1 bronze

10. Rabat 2019 in Morocco: 1 bronze

Everisto Mulenga (Red) won Bronze at the Rabat 2019 African Games in Morocco. Photo/PD/DAVID NDOLO

Coach Mudenda said he looks forward to seeing the record being broken this afternoon when Mwango Mwale, Emmanuel Katema, and Gerald Kabinda take to the ring in the quarterfinals of their respective weight categories.

"Our target here with my Assistant Coach Aerial Banda is to break the 29-year-long standing record of four medals at the Africa Games in 1991 and 1995 in Cairo, Egypt, and Harare, Zimbabwe, under the tutelage of my late father Vincent Mudenda, who was also my coach when I reached the quarterfinals of the 1991 Games," he added.

Zambia's boxing team at the Accra 2023 African Games consists of ten boxers, of which Albert Ngulube, Andrew Chilata, Patrick Chinyemba, and Margret Tembo are already in the medal brackets.

Stephen Zimba, Nene Maonga, and Jonathan Mwiinga have been eliminated from the competition.