What happened to Hero Stephen Zimba?
Dickson Jere
I followed intensely the career of Steven Zimba and his compatriot Patrick Chinyemba. These two remained the most promising amateur boxers we had for big international competitions.
Zimba was our main boy at the Tokyo Olympics. He later performed well at the Commonwealth Games in 2022 and eventually got awarded Certificate of Merit for his performance.
He then went off the radar!
So, to see the statement from Zambia Army – his ex employers – depicting him as a rogue character made sad reading. What went wrong with our national hero who donned our national flag at international boxing events? It is just few years ago we were busy cheering the boy as he knocked out opponents.
Did the system fail him? Or have we – Sports Administrators – failed him? Shouldn’t we have done more to help him overcome whatever is happening with him?
I feel sad!
We should share the blame as Sports Administrators.
From the military side, there are rules.
Discipline is standard and non negotiable.
Sport can have its role but for the uniform, no
one crosses the red line. The army has its own set rules and disciplinary channels. It has its own courts by law.
So there are things which the civilian world can not jump into once
you are in the Army Mr Dickson. The army doesnt fail an individual.
The individual falls out with the system but it remains the same,
Good luck to the former corporal but no thanks. Zambia army forever