By FELIX MALUNGA –

WITH an eye on the 2015 All-Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville, the Zambia Boxing Federation (ZBF) has embarked on an aggressive campaign to produce quality female amateur boxers capable of winning medals at various international events.
ZBF president, Thomas Chileshe said the federation wanted to rekindle local women amateur boxing and ensure Zambia also sent female pugilists to the 11th All-Africa Games next year.
Chileshe said in an interview in Kitwe yesterday that ZBF was currently handicapped in terms of having female boxing coaches, hence the need to begin the search for trainers.
He said Zambia already had promising female boxers but there was need to also recruit women coaches to drill the pugilists.
ZBF has so far shortlisted three former female boxers, whom the federation is targeting to take up the coaching mantle.
Chileshe said the successful candidate would be sent for a high-level coaching course organised by the world governing body, AIBA.
“We need to start preparing our women amateur boxers for international events like Olympics. However, despite our female boxers doing well, we lack women coaches. We’re now looking for former women boxers to take up this coaching task so that come Congo Brazzaville All-Africa Games, Zambia will send female boxers also,” he said.
The All-Africa Games return to their birthplace Congo Brazzaville after 50 years.
Next year’s event will mark the 50th anniversary of the ‘African Olympics’.