HARARE - The Fourth Vice President of the World Boxing Organisation (WBO), Andrew Smale, has postponed his visit to Zimbabwe to March 6 owing to pressing commitments requiring his immediate attention it has been learnt. Smale, who is based in Johannesburg, South Africa, was in December 2009 invited by the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, David Coltart, to discuss the threat of Zimbabwean boxers being banned from participating in international tournaments.
This followed reports of the submission of fraudulent medical records of local boxers to international promoters, a situation that may have exposed opponent pugilists to HIV and Hepatitis B infection.
Minister Coltart, with the aim of getting to the root of the scandal, extended an invitation to Smale to whom the forged documents were sent by the Zimbabwe National Boxing and Wrestling Control Board. A commission of inquiry into the whole saga has since been set up, which is headed by members of the Sports and Recreation Commission.