Final Bell tolls for Charm Chiteule by Eric Armit May 8th 2008

According to the Times of Zambia the former Commonwealth champion Charm 'Shuffle' Chiteule died around 4pm on 6th May in Kabwe, Zambia. The Zambian legend who boxed in the era of Lottie Mwale, Chisanda Muti and big Joe Sichula is the last of this group to die thus effectively drawing the curtains on the golden era of Zambian professional boxing. Chiteule who was hospitalised at the Kabwe General Hospital last friday died of Malaria. Chiteule was born in Kitwe in 1953 and turned professional in 1978, the following year he left for London with Lottie Mwale to train under the tutelage of the late George Francis at the Wellington Stables. Chiteule won the Commonwealth featherweight title in May 1980 by stopping Nottingham's Dave Needham in the fifth round in Lusaka. At the height of his career, Chiteule challenged the Ghanaian legend Azumah Nelson for the Commonwealth and the African featherweight belt but lost in the 10th round at the Woodlands Stadium in Lusaka. In the twilight of his career, Chiteule fought Irishman Barry McGuigan at the King's Hall in Belfast losing again in the tenth round, he had one more fight in Germany before retiring from the sport in 1984, he later became the Zambian Boxing Federation president.

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