THERE’s no doubt that the retirement from the ring of Zambia’s boxing heroine Esther Phiri has left a certain impact on the local scene particularly more so to the development of the sport and the future of female boxing in Zambia.
Her retirement comes eight years after she first laced gloves to break into the professional ranks in 2005.
It’s been a long or short journey, depending on where you stand, to the top for Zambia’s
sensational, barrier-breaking boxer who collected an array of world titles—seven of them—in different weight categories, one shy from equaling Manny Pacquiao.
To recap, Esther, 17- 13-1-2 (5 KOs),was among others, the Women International Boxing Association (WIBA) light welterweight champion, a previously vacant title she won after beating Duda Yankovich, and earlier winning an eliminator against Terri Blair, Global Boxing Council (GBC) super featherweight champion after annihilating Viparat Lasuwan, Women International Boxing Federation (WIBF) Inter-Continental Super Featherweight champion (beat Monika Petrova), and Global Boxing Union Intercontinental lightweight champion, a title she won against Radostina Valcheva.
Esther’s pedigree went beyond borders and she once attracted the attention of the American sports channel ESPN on a special programme appropriately titled “Esther Phiri, Zambian boxer at the top.”
This past week, it was reported that WIBA has declared Esther’s title vacant following her hanging up of gloves in what I see as debatable reasons.
The first time she announced her retirement, she attributed her decision to “frustrations” arising from a now lifted 90-day ban of her promoter and manager Anthony Mwamba for failure to meet statutory obligations—non-payment of stable affiliation fees to the Zambia Professional Boxing and Wrestling Board of Control.
This statement left observers wondering whether she’d rescind her decision if Mwamba was reprieved and that was when she laid it on the line, saying her “real reason” for retiring was to “enjoy her hard earned money.”
True, Esther’s career completely changed her life because of the hard work she put in and she was certainly the cash cow for Mwamba’s Exodus Boxing Stables, given that no stable in Zambia spent more money in tournament sponsorship than Exodus.
And so, what legacy is Esther leaving behind? Well, so much has been written and said about her achievements, but for me, her departure signifies that, determination coupled with discipline and a bit of luck can take our female boxers right to the top.
Put differently, up coming female boxers should look up to Esther and emulate her finer attributes which shot her to the top. What does this entail?
They should ask her how she used to pulverise her opponents in the ring even in the face of serious adversity, like when she controversially beat Belinda Laracuente.
Young fighters should turn to Esther to learn about what she used to do in training.
That is to say, how far did she have to dig deep into her reserves in order to keep fit physically and mentally before and during a fight.
What kind of social life did she lead which could have impacted positively or negatively on her life and her career? Did she or does she drink, for instance? These may sound like silly little questions,but the heck, it’s the simple things in life that matter.
If you take away a penny from a pound, is it still a pound?
I reiterate what I said in a recent column that for me, Esther is free to leave boxing, without throwing the bath water with the baby.
Meaning, she must carry on from the ring and diversify her contribution by establishing a boxing academy which could hunt young talent, nurture and groom it into fine fighters like Esther herself.
I also said now that Esther had left the ring and Mwamba has been “robbed” of his crown jewel, what better time to revive a dream Mwamba once talked about of setting up an academy and forge a collaboration between tutor (Mwamba) and student (Esther).
I strongly believe the pair can forge ahead together in another role.
Esther is a good boxer and Mwamba a good trainer. That should make an formidable, an awesome combination.
The young fighters—both male and female—could exploit this prospect to their (budding boxers’) own advantage.
Comments:mwale.simon@yahoo.co.uk/096675554