After 60 years, boxing is set to return to the Indian Ocean islands territory of Zanzibar with a bout on Sunday after the ban placed on the sport was lifted, Peoples Gazette can report.

Boxing has been prohibited in Zanzibar since the 1960s by the island’s first President Abedi Amani Karume, citing cultural reasons as he considered the sport “inhumane” arguing that fighting was for animals.

According to the BBC, the decision of the current president Hussein Mwinyi to return boxing to the island aligns with his strategic push to promote tourism and sports development – a 2021 research found that 60 per cent of the islanders support the return of boxing.

Zanzibar’s Hamis Muay Thai will face Ibrahim Mjender in the historic eight-round non-title lightweight fight in one of the boxing matches billed to hold on Sunday.

“It’s a great honour and I will do the best that I can for the people of Zanzibar to represent them in a good way but also promote everything that they have already,” said Natasha Jones.

Jones is a British former boxing champion. She was recently named honorary ambassador for Zanzibar in sport tourism.