ZBF names Zimba team captain ahead of Olympic Games

Tokyo Olympic Games bound boxer Stephen Zimba has been appointed as captain of the boxing team ahead of the games in July this year.

Zimba takes over the mantle from his teammate Evaristo Mulenga who held the position from last year before the start of the qualifiers in Senegal.

Zambia Boxing Federation (ZBF) President Dr Kennedy Mubita confirmed the development in an interview with NOCZ media.

“He will inspire the others, you know he won a silver at the qualifiers and he will be a guide and he is mature,” Dr. Mubita said.

The news has received kudos from his coach Wisdom Mudenda who trains the boxer both at the national team and at club level-side Green Buffaloes.

“His conduct has been very well and he has shown to be very humble especially that he is a soldier, he has the ability (to lead the team),” Mudenda who has trained him for 12 years now said via a phone interview.

Zimba, a welterweight boxer, was part of a trio of Zambian prodigies alongside Mulenga and Patrick Chinyemba that qualified to the forthcoming Olympic Games last year in Senegal.

While Mulenga would go on to win gold at the same event, Zimba and Chinyema settled for silver and consequently joined sprinter Sydney Siame as part of Team Zambia for the games.

Meanwhile Dr. Mubita has revealed that ZBF are looking at ways to camp the boxers outside the country in order to enhance their chances of performing well at the Games in Tokyo.

He said there would be need for international exposure if the boxers were to excel in their categories come July.

“Their chances can be enhanced, they need international exposure,” he said.

He revealed that ZBF would be looking to call upon President Edgar Lungu to come in as a way of helping out the association achieve their intended target.

Zimba (in red), won a silver medal at the qualifiers in Senegal.