ZBF unveils plans to stage 2026 elite African boxing championships.

By BENEDICT TEMBO

THE Zambia Boxing Federation (ZBF) has revealed its plans to host the 2026 African Elite Men’s and Women’s Boxing Championships in Lusaka.
ZBF president Boniface Sokoni said amateur boxing’s governing body was now seeking government approval before working on the bid document.

Inspired by Zambia’s impressive performance at the just-concluded International Boxing Association (IBA) Men’s World Championships in Dubai, Sokoni told boxersworld.co.ke he was confident Government will back the federation in this worthwhile venture.
Zambia was the top-placed African country at the IBA World Championships in Dubai with two bronze medals won by posterboy flyweight Patrick “Baddo” Chinyemba and African Games light-welterweight silver medallist Emmanuel Katema.
Chinyemba, the African Games champion and a quarter-finalist at the Paris Olympic Games, lost in the semi-finals to Russia’s Bair Batlaev while Katema went down to Kyrgyzstan’s Omar Livaza.
“Our success in Dubai proved Zambia is a strong boxing nation in Africa, and therefore deserve to host the Africa Championships in Lusaka,” a confident Sokoni said.
Sokoni intends to pitch the proposal for 2026 African Elite Men’s and Women’s Boxing Championships in Lusaka to the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Arts.

“Then we get down to serious business of working on the bid document, we have good infrastructure, modern hotels and Zambians passionately love boxing,” he said.
The IBA will support the 2026 African Championships with total prize money of US$1 million for gold, silver and bronze medallists.