GODFREY DUBE –
BOXING coach Wisdom Mudenda has bemoaned the poor diet and limited camping time the national team is subjected to in its quest to qualify for the Commonwealth Gold Coast games.
Mudenda said in an interview yesterday that lack of proper diet and good camping had over the years resulted in boxers failing to reap medals at major international events.
Mudenda said boxers need a properly monitored diet and camping in order to be at their peak during international tournaments.
The Zambia boxing team is currently camped inside Arakan Barracks in Lusaka to prepare for an AIBA India invitation amateur tournament later this month.
“Good results come from good preparations and we are seeing how these boxers sacrifice for the sport. These boxers are right now not in residential camp. They come from their homes and we don’t know what they do in transit,” Mudenda.
Mudenda said boxers sometimes suffer a mental, psychological and physical setback due to such hitches in preparations.
“Sometimes a boxer can come to training without eating and then we make them do all the tough sessions. This is bad, we have to reduce the training hours per session,” he said.
Meanwhile Mudenda has urged his boxers not to relax as the AIBA India open tournament draws closer.
He said the tournament will help the boxers gain the needed exposure and experience as they gear up for the Commonwealth Games.
“I am impressed with the performance of the boxers in training, they are responding well and I am confident that the India tournament will be of great help. Most of these boxers lack international exposure and we should use the India outing wisely,” Mudenda said.