Ngo-December 2014, Lion Heart’s Board of Directors met and resolved to have one final go developing Boxing in Zimbabwe by exploring the possibility of promoting a quarterly boxing series in Harare starting in April 2015. Ngenxa yalokho, inkampani wanquma ukuthumela CFO yayo, Edward Mendy, eZimbabwe ibuye eyodwa kuphela futhi injongo-ukuphenya zibheke ibamba midlalo wesibhakela Harare ozoba ngomhlaka April 16 noma April 23, 2015 ngokuhlanganyela 35 celebration Zim sika Independence Day, or other date as feasible. Ancillary to same, Mendy kwaba ibuye okulandelayo: (1) qinisekisa usuku, (2) baqinisekise indawo, (3) book Zim boxers to feature in the Main Event, kanye / noma umcimbi co-main, futhi (4) ephephile ibhodi imvume ukusingatha umcimbi.

The Main Indawo of the May ehlongozwayo 2015 inaugural event was slated to feature Former Two Time British Champion and Two Time Commonwealth Champion Danny Williams (46-18) ethatha Bulawayo uqobo Thamsanqa Dube (12-3), a former WBA Pan-African Champion. In the Co-Main Event, Namibian futhi zangaphambili World Champion Harry Simon (30-0) was selected to take on an opponent to be announced. The Undercard was to be highlighted by a special feature bout–WBC Africa Welterweight Charles Manyuchi (15-2) kwakufanele avikele isicoco sakhe phezu kwenhlabathi ekhaya for the okokuqala ngqá noma nje benze ukukala fight (kuncike ekuvumeni Zambian wakhe Umthuthukisi Chris Malunga kanye nabalingani bakhe). Manyuchi is currently the most internationally recognized Zimbabwean Boxer and has been plying his trade in neighboring Zambia since 2012 for lack of options at home. The event would have been broadcasted live on ZTV and streamed live worldwide on the Internet. Ngaphezu kwalokho, the Besingeke aye rebroadcasted ngesisekelo ilibele nge kuziteshi sports zezifunda USA, okuyinto ukufinyelela phezu 165 Million American cable amakhaya (phezu 100 Amakhaya Million unique) usebenzisa Lion Heart Boxing Productions’ established contractual relationships. Ukwengeza, mcimbi Kuhlelwe ukuba ingqikithi esifundeni futhi kwezinye izimakethe, emhlabeni wonke njengoba okusebenzayo.

In phambili Zimbabwe izifiso yenkampani, Mendy washiya New York for Harare ngoFebhuwari 26, 2015 on exploratory mission. He was received warmly by Zimbabweans of walks of life and spent a very enjoyable and productive ten days in Zimbabwe, visiting various cities and meeting with people. Lion Heart was able to achieve all of the stated goals except the last one, baqinisekise ZBB support for the event ohlongozwayo, yize umhlangano wokuqala ihlelelwe-ajenda Mendy kwakungu iBhodi. Ngeshwa, akagcinanga Zimbabwe Boxing Board ababhali ikhanda edingekayo, ibingeke ngisho libize umhlangano olusemthethweni Board ukuthola Mendy noma itafula Lion Heart amacebo. Kuze kube manje, futhi ngemva kwamasonto amathathu, Lion Heart has not received any correspondence from the Board on its application to host an event in May. The only information it has received relative to the event is from media reports, umphumela ukuthi iBhodi edinga isikhathi esiningi ukuze ngamabomu.

Ngenxa ZBB ongeyena Ukuphendula, Lion Heart regrettably has decided to put its Zim Project on hold indefinitely. Says Lion Heart Event Coodinator Sporty Smith, “We have no choice but to put our Zim Project on hold since the ZBB has failed to afford us the smallest of professional courtesy. We can understand a Board’s refusal to sanction an event it does not like it. A failure by a Board to reply, ukuhlangabezana zokukhokha it ezihlongozwayo ngenye bahluleke communcate, Nokho, is unheard of. Not only was the board frosty in its welcome of Edward Mendy, it would not even convene a meeting of the board even though advance arrangements were made with it. Ngaphezu kwalokho, the Board would not even give us the courtesy of a response despite numerous follow-up inquiries. What is most shocking about the whole thing, isenzo sika ZBB (noma inactions), is ukuthi akafani ZBB uye ajeziswe kanzima yimuphi izenzakalo zangempela wesibhakela term wamanje, esiyiminyaka emithathu esiphela ngoDisemba, noma aye tigameko boxing ihlelelwe ekhalendeni yayo. Futhi yimuphi ngaphandle Lion Heart wokungqongqoza eminyango iBhodi noma ezama igqugquzela isibhakela izenzakalo Zimbabwe abagqugquzeli. Ngakho, sisambathekile inikezwe ngempela imfudumalo ngokwedlulele nomdlandla unabashed project yethu ngenye wathola kusuka punjab, Abaqeqeshi, amanye amalungu omphakathi boxing, the media, tourism and other government officials as well as ordinary Zimbabweans. Basically we have a Boxing Board that has seen no boxing events in its current term, kodwa akenzi on the event boxing real kuphela ezithebeni ngaphambi kokuba, kanye ehlongozwayo mqhudelwano ezinkulu isiqalo omhlaba waqaphela ngaleso.”

Imizamo Lion Heart ukuze asize ukuthuthukisa Umdlalo Boxing in Zimbabwe, the “Zim Project,” uye yayithathe engaphezu kweyishumi. In addition to sponsoring various tournaments in Zimbabwe over the last decade, Lion Heart Boxing Productions nabanikazi balo abaye bazama ukusiza kusengaphambili careers of punjab eziningi Zimbabwean, kuhlanganise ke Ezingakanqotshwa Thamsanqa Dube and Ishmael Kuckocha, by ekuxhaseni kwabo ukuze yenezele ukuqeqeshwa kwabo nemisebenzi in the USA. Nokho, naphezu lokho ekholelwa ukuthi imizamo yayo best, Lion Heart Boxing Productions kuye kwadingeka nempumelelo elinganiselwe kakhulu Zim yayo Project and has ayihlangene ukukhombisa ngemizamo yayo Herculean ukusiza inqubekelaphambili Boxing in Zimbabwe.

Boxing tournaments in Zimbabwe ukuthi Lion Heart exhasiwe akazange athole wayefisa imiphumela yezezimali. Ngaphezu kwalokho, abagqugquzeli endawo ahlukahlukene kanye nabalingani eZimbabwe (ngaphandle Gilbert Munetsi) that Lion Heart Boxing Productions had contracted with over the years had turned out to be unreliable and unproductive. Many of local promoters and partners promised much and delivered little. Ngaphezu kwalokho, the Zimbabwe Boxing Board would not approve the signing of any of the fighters that Lion Heart had interest in the 2000’s. Iningi muva, Lion Heart wavuma ukusiza umgqugquzeli emincane yendawo, Delta Force Promotions, with an event he planned by securing the event’s purse money and depositing same with the Boxing Board. The local Promoter, Nokho, was unable to organize the event to the Board’s satisfaction. After that experience, Lion Heart ekugcineni ixazululwe in 2014 to give up on its Zim Project. Nokho, Lion Heart wafikelwa Chit Town umlobi okusekelwe futhi Member zangaphambili ZBB Board Gilbert Munetsi ukuphikelela eZim yayo izama futhi siqhubeke sisebenzela phezu Zim Project.

Inkampani CFO Edward Mendy uthi, “Ngokuthembakala, equal credit for our perseverance on the Zim Project should go to Gilbert Munetsi and I. But for our continued pleading and my obstinacy in the face of adversity, Lion Heart ngabe eside ngihlukene foray zakhona Zimbabwe Boxing.”

Kwengeziwe Mendy, “Ngemva kuka eyishumi esebenza ngaphandle impumelelo on Zim wethu Project, yokungasazi kwethu impumelelo uzama ukungena ngemvume ehlukahlukene Zim punjab ukuletha USA in 2004-2005, the fiasco nge Cox Chigwana in 2013 futhi imizamo yethu yamuva akuphumelelanga ukusiza Clyde Musonda and Delta wakhe Boxing Productions uthole umcimbi wabo izizathu in 2013-14, thina umane babhekane Zimbabwe kungenzeka kube ngathi. Our trials and tribulations in Zimbabwe are well-documented, covered in great part by the Zim media and well-known to members of the current Board. While I am not one to give up easily, I learnt a long time ago that there is really no sound business reason for force a promotion in a jurisdiction with an unfriendly board. This is very unfortunate considering the scale of the proposed May event, amandla ayo ukuze jumpstart Boxing in Zimbabwe futhi ngikhonza njengenceku imoto for esimeme Sports Tourism, entshisekweni nabanye ababambe iqhaza kanye nenani elikhulu emsebenzini kakade efakwa Zim Project.”

About Lion Heart Boxing Promotions (the Umthuthukisi)

Lion Heart Boxing Productions is global Boxing Umthuthukisi and Sports Entertainment Inkampani ezinze e-US. Le nkampani lamiswa ngo 2001 ngenhloso yokwenza ukuhlinzeka top izenzakalo mfanelo enenani eliphakeme ukuzijabulisa futhi wakhuthaza boxing izenzakalo emazwekazini amane. The Company ngokushesha bazakhele igama elihle njengoba producer of izinga okusezingeni ukulwa and kahle ngenxa ukwelashwa yayo fair of bomlilo ukuzibophezela fighters’ amalungelo.

Lion Heart Boxing Productions kuye kwadingeka njengoba omunye izinsika zalo yemfanelo ezinkampani isithakazelo esikhethekile ekusizeni ukuthuthukisa Umdlalo wesibhakela in Africa. Lokhu nesithakazelo ekubeni igqugquzela isibhakela in Zimbabwe and a kwabayisithupha amazwe African, bonke ngamazinga ahlukahlukene empumelelo.

Ulwazi Lokuxhumana

Ukuze uthole ukwaziswa okwengeziwe Lion Heart Boxing Productions, Ltd., Thursday Night ayalwa @ Yas Island, noma Thursday Night ayalwa series, sicela ushayele Edward B. Mendy, Chief Financial Officer, at +973-650-9721 noma ukubhala kuyeebmendy@gmail.com noma 11 Eric Drive, Kinnelon, NJ 07405.