Arduous 17 000km journey for "Take Money"

Chiwandire wins World Boxing Championship — “Take Money”

Gilbert Munetsi

The long wait is finally coming to an end for Kudakwashe “Take Money” Chiwandire as she and her team left Harare this morning for Mexico where she will face multiple champion Yamelith “La Yemi” for the coveted World Boxing Council super-bantamweight title on March 18.

The epic contest takes place in Chihuahua, one of 32 Mexico’s Federal States that shares an extensive border with Texas and is billed as an important commercial route prospering from billions of dollars from international trade as a result of North American Free Trade Agreement.

The journey, though by air, is going to be quite arduous for the contingent – and particularly for the boxer – and could deliberately have been tailored that way to give advantage to the home fighter as has always been the case.

“Take Money” and her entourage left Harare early in the morning and were by noon, still at the Mexican Embassy in Pretoria where they were awaiting the Visa issuance processes. Tomorrow they leave SA around 8pm for Paris from where they will then connect to Mexico City. The journey is 15 481km long and lasts approximately 19 hours.

They will then embark on the final lap North-westernwards on a 1 459km trip that gets them to Chihuahua, the venue for the fight.

The contingent has Delta Force director and manager to the boxer, Clyde Musonda, coach Tarisai Ponde, marketing manager Eric Kandiwa, anchor sponsor Robson Muromba of RM Plumbing World and two supporters Coleen Mavhundutse and one Brian who are on the trip courtesy of sponsorship from Gypsite Electrical.

“We are now in Pretoria and hope to have finalised the Visa formalities by end of day. Yes, there will not be much time for rest but, jet lag aside, we remain optimistic we will achieve our desire and bring the title home.

“We have been fortunate in that the WBC president himself, Mauricio Sulaiman personally called their ambassador here in SA to help quicken the process so if all goes according to plan, we should be in Mexico by Thursday.

“It gives us just a day to settle down and acclimatise and with other programmes surrounding the even such as the weight in and face off and helping market the fight, we have to sketch a preparatory strategy that does not wear the boxer before the contest,” Musonda said in an interview from Pretoria.