November 04, (THEWILL) – Taurai Zimunya, a super bantamweight boxer from Zimbabwe, has died after a fight in Harare raising questions concerning safety measures in Zimbabwean boxing.
Zimunya died on Monday after collapsing during a non-title fight on Saturday and it marked the first time a boxer has died in Zimbabwe as a result of ring injuries.
The Zimbabwe National Boxing and Wrestling Control Board’s (ZNBWCB) general secretary, Lawrence Zimbudzana, says that plans for an investigation are still being worked out.
“For now we will focus on the burial, and then we will sit down and look at the issues,” Zimbudzana revealed at Zimunya’s burial on Wednesday.
The ZNBWCB issued a statement that read, in part: “All the necessary medical procedures were followed and emergency medical assistance was provided at the venue before he was taken to hospital”.
The 24 year-old Zimunya was knocked out in the third round of a six-round battle after taking many head shots.
Tatenda Gada, his former trainer, was heartbroken because he believed his ex-trainee had a lot of potential. He said: “We’ve been robbed of one of our best prospects. I worked with Taurai for more than four years – I watched him progress and he was one for the future.”
Samson, Zimunya’s father, was an amateur boxer who hoped that his son would carry on the family name and become a champion before the young pugilist lost his life.]
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
