By Twimepoki Mangani:
Renown International Boxer of Malawian origin, Isaac Chilemba has said has numbered bouts to fight before he could hang up his boxing gloves.
Speaking to Malawi News Agency (Mana) in Liongwe, Wednesday, he said he has scheduled fights later this year and afterward he would assess himself to check if he could carry on.
“I will do one or two more fights, after the next fight which might be in November, I will see if I feel like doing a few more,” Chilemba said.
Asked on the next move after hanging up his gloves, the revered boxer revealed that he intends to immediately roll out the Isaac Chilemba Academy in South Africa even before retirement as he has acquired a vast amount of knowledge that he would impart to others.
“I’m getting old and am about to end my professional career and since up this point all I know is boxing and that is why I have decided to remain in the sport, just in a different field”.
“The sessions will run Monday to Saturday every week. For a start, the gym will be commercial and as far as training actual fighters, will see as time progresses,” he said.
President of Malawi Professional Boxing Control Board (MPBCB), Lonzoe Zimba hailed Chilemba for the development stating that it’s a paramount initiative that would assist in cementing his legacy.
“As a boxer there will be a time to retire hence the need to set up a legacy and through this Academy people will keep on enjoying and benefiting, from his tutelage. I should say it’s a welcome development and we encourage other boxers to emulate him,” he said.
Zimba added that, “There is no problem with him opening an Academy in South Africa as there are Malawian boxers who go to the rainbow nation and recently there was Anisha Basheel and Ellen Simwaka who went to train there and certainlythey will use the Academy once opened.”
The President highlighted that Malawi does not have a serious boxing Academy, but concurred with Chilemba’s future thoughts that state that the future was open to having an Academy in the country.
Chilemba who has recorded 26 wins, eight losses, and three draws will conduct the sessions at the Academy himself and intends to hire trainers as the business will grow.
He has had an illustrious career, having debuted professionally in 2005 and has managed to hold the International Boxing Organization super weight and challenged for the World Boxing Association (WBA),IBOand World Boxing Organization (WBO) light heavyweight title beltsin 2016.
