The Feel Good Fight Against GBV

BONGANI MALUNGA

Media personalities and entrepreneurs Robin  ‘Robbie Rob’ Chivazve  and Losika ‘Luzboy’ Seboni will pit their wits in an exhibition boxing match dubbed ‘The Feel Good Fight 1’ on December 11. The Feel Good Fight is an initiative aimed at raising awareness of Gender Based Violence (GBV) which has seen an unwanted spike in cases in the last few years, including recent months where fatalities have been reported.

Chivazve will be representing TeamGorilla while Seboni is representing TeamLacoste in the eagerly anticipated exhibition bout. During the Bond Boxing Promotions fight night there will also be under cards involving local professional boxers leading up to the main event.

Naming the fight ‘Feel Good Fight 1’ is an indication that this may be an annual campaign against as there might be more editions to continue to spread a message against GBV. The Feel Good Fight 1 represents a rallying cry for men to “pick on someone their own size” as opposed to cowardly picking fights against women or children who are not able to defend themselves.

The sport of boxing allows one to pit their wits against an opponent in a controlled environment, this way the participants learn the art of control, discipline and sportsmanship which may translate to other aspects of life.

As husbands, fathers  and influential figures, Chivazve and Seboni have joined forces to stage the exhibition fight which aims to spark more dialogue about the problematic GBV cases around the country. Their main aim is to stimulate the public through the community mobilization project that is the Feel Good Fight

Chivazve and Seboni have highlighted the need for men to engage in conversations surrounding frustrations and how to deal with them while exercising restraint, composure and calm when things are not going their way.

It is often said that men, as the majority perpetrators of GBV, often bottle up their frustrations and end up taking them out on the nearest people around them. Boxing has been encouraged as an outlet for physical activity which gives one a chance to release tension on a punching bag.

The duo has maintained that physical activity such as boxing or jogging helps one to manage stress, if the stress can be toned down then the likelihood of releasing those frustrations on someone else will diminish.

There is a thin line between emotional and physical distress and learning to keep both in check is the key to controlling how to react to trying situations without harming others. Telecommunications giant Mascom has landed its support to the Feel Good Fight cause to be in line with their corporate social responsibility values. The Feel Good Fight was launched this past Friday with Mascom revealing a P25 000 sponsorship towards the initiative.