Kanyanta, 10 others obtain International One-Star Level Boxing coaching certificates

13/09/2013

NATIONAL boxing coach Kennedy Kanyanta and 10 other aspiring coaches have successfully acquired their international One-Star Level coaching certificate under the World Amateur Boxing body (AIBA) after a two-week course held in Lusaka four months ago.

As the 11 budding coaches who include exciting boxer Hastings Bwalya were graduating with flying colours, it was a sad story for 14 other course participants who flanked the examination and remain national level coaches.
Releasing the results yesterday from Lausanne, the AIBA headquarters in Switzerland, Ho Kim, the AIBA Executive Director said 11 of the 25 participants passed the examinations and were upgraded to be international One-Star coaches while the other 14 will have to retry.
Kanyanta’s attainment of the international certification should effectively put to bed a long heated debate that engulfed the Zambia Amateur Boxing Federation (ZABF) whose members challenged the executive for appointing an under-qualified Kanyanta as coach.
Former national coach Elias Kataya had questioned the flouting of the constitution in appointing Kanyanta to be national coach when he did not have any coaching certification.
But ZABF president Chileshe stood by the appointment of Kanyanta and that a course was underway.
Kanyanta himself yesterday expressed excitement at gaining the much sought after qualification adding the 10 others who had passed would take the sports forward.
“I am very happy that I have got this certification. There was a lot of talk but I am now as qualified as the most qualified coach in Zambia. But what is important is looking at how we can best help boxing progress.
“I am looking forward to be a Star-Two coach and I will work hard towards it but we have 11 new high level coaches and with these good numbers, we shall see that we train as many good boxers as possible,” he said.
The course was conducted at the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) and conducted by Cuban boxing expert Andile Mofu. The letter announcing the names also copied to Adam Kusior, the chairman of AIBA Coaches Commission.
The full list of the successful participants has Musonda ‘The Bull’ Chinugu, Kanyanta, Maybin Gunduzani, Charles Chipomo, Commonwealth games bronze medalist Dennis Zimba and former national captain Jonathan Mwila.
The rest are Whiteson Mutambo, Peter Chisala, Greetings Kaonga, Hastings Bwalya, who trained with legendary Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather and Richard Banda.