Karate Kid to King of the Ring: Beaven Sibanda’s H...

Karate Kid to King of the Ring: Beaven Sibanda’s Historic IBF Triumph

Pictured showing off the IBF title are L-R: ZNBWCB Programmes Manager Moreways Changa, Ali “Otto” Phiri, Clyde Musonda, Beaven Sibanda, ZNBWCB CEO Priscilla Kadungure and former WBC silver champion Charles Manyuchi

Gilbert Munetsi Zim Now Writer

Though very short in stature, Beaven Sibanda – the new International Boxing Federation minimum weight champion - stood tall at a press conference hosted by the Zimbabwe National Boxing and Wrestling Control Board at their National Sports Stadium offices in Harare on Thursday.

He wasn’t just another athlete celebrating a win, but his poise spoke loud volumes about a living embodiment of persistence, transformation, and national pride.

Just days earlier, “The One” (Sibanda's moniker) etched his name into Zimbabwe’s sporting history by becoming the country’s first IBF minimum weight champion. The 25-year-old fighter dismantled seasoned Filipino opponent Richard Garde with a fifth-round knockout in a 12-round contest at the famed Emperor’s Palace in Johannesburg, South Africa.

But it turns out his story didn’t begin in the glitz of international arenas, but in the most modest of places in Zimbabwe where bare fists and martial arts discipline were the order of the day.

“I’ve come a long way,” Sibanda told the press. “I started off as a karateka, never really thinking boxing would be my path until I was discovered by Zimbabwe national team coach Alexander Kwangwari while at training at Harare Kopje. That moment changed everything.”

It was this unexpected discovery that turned Sibanda’s trajectory from local martial artist to globally-recognized boxer.

Inspired by the meteoric rise of Charles Manyuchi—Zimbabwe’s former WBC Silver welterweight champion—Sibanda believed that he, too, could make it.

“Watching Charles Manyuchi put Zimbabwe on the global boxing map gave me belief,” he said. “He made it real for all of us who came after him.”

The youthful champion revealed that two other personalities, under whose watchful eyes he evolved from being a novice to the professional circuit were coaches Ali Otto Phiri and Clyde Musonda, who he labelled “architects” of his meteoric rise.

Sibanda's leap into professional boxing in 2022 however came with its fair share of challenges. Locally, the minimum weight division lacked depth, leaving him with limited prospects.

“I had to make a tough call and move to South Africa because locally there were just no fighters in my division. I knew if I wanted to grow, I needed consistent competition.”

In South Africa and finding a home at Golden Gloves he found that competition, and with it the exposure and development necessary to flourish within the ranks of the unforgiving SA boxing circuit.

South Africa became his proving ground, where he steadily carved out a record of 10 professional fights—winning nine and losing only one. His precision, tenacity, and work ethic earned him a 3-star rating from BoxRec, placing him alongside Zimbabwe’s top-tier pugilists like Kudakwashe “Take Money” Chiwandire and Manyuchi himself.

But his defining moment, after an earlier futile attempt at a WBC championship, came in his title fight against Garde. With fluid movement, fierce combinations, and tactical brilliance, he dominated until he delivered the clinical finish in the fifth round. It was a moment that silenced critics and lifted an entire nation's hopes.

ZNBWCB CEO Priscilla Kadungure at the presser described Sibanda as “a true icon of Zimbabwean boxing whose journey is a testament to unwavering dedication, relentless hard work, and the sheer power of an indomitable spirit.

“You have shown us all what it means to pursue excellence and to achieve greatness through perseverance. You join Zimbabwe’s professional boxing greats by winning the international championship.

“The ZNBWCB is incredibly proud to witness your achievements, and we are committed to supporting you and all our talented athletes as you continue to elevate the standard of boxing in Zimbabwe. Your success is a beacon for aspiring young boxers, demonstrating that with courage and commitment, dreams can indeed become reality,” she said.

Adding to his whirlwind rise, Sibanda last year met boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. during the American superstar’s visit to Zimbabwe and reminiscing on the encounter told the media, “Meeting Mayweather was surreal. He’s one of the greatest, and hearing his words of encouragement first-hand gave me even more drive.”

The ZNBWCB also noted Sibanda’s story is not just a personal triumph, but a clarion call to a new generation of Zimbabwean athletes.

“With other national champions like Nyasha Hwata, Monica Mkandla, and Hassan Milanzi also making waves, Zimbabwe is experiencing a boxing renaissance. As custodians of the sport, we urge young boxers out there to also dream big, work hard, and never let their background define their future. If Beaven did it, so can they.”

With his IBF crown freshly secured, Sibanda now stands at the gateway to even greater honours with (Clyde) Musonda, who represented Golden Gloves at the conference, insisting that talks of unification bouts and world championship opportunities are no longer fanciful, but are on the horizon.