By Chris Totobela
Makhanda boxing fans came in droves to witness great boxing action in the Mfuzo Boxing Camp’s 28th-anniversary tournament held at Hlalani Community Hall on Saturday, 14 October 2023. Teams came from as far as Eswatini, with all the local boxing clubs represented.
In the first bout of the tournament, Kungawo Makeleni of the Umthatha-based Khulani Boxing Club defeated Anesipho Mabheka of Dimbaza Boxing Club in their girls’ bout.
There were a lot of exciting bouts that got the crowd shouting at the top of their lungs and clapping. Many of our local boxers did not disappoint; Andisiwe Qinela of Masakheke, BC was the first local boxer to win her bout and took home a gold medal. Mfuzo Boxing Camp’s Esona “The General” Peter also took home gold.
There were a lot of pound-for-pound male bouts, which produced some fireworks, but female boxers showed tremendous improvement in their bouts and got much appreciation from the crowd. The reigning South African champion in the 57 kg category, Imitha Mkhala of East London-based Sisonke Boxing Club, won her bout against Eswatini’s opponent and impressed the crowd with her boxing skills.
The fight that got the crowd on their feet was between Mfuzo Boxing Camp’s Lilitha Matshotyana and Khanyiso Simelane of Eswatini-based Zebra Force Boxing Club. Matshotyana made her intentions very clear from the first bell, taking the fight to her opponent. In the second round, Matshotyana showed off her excellent ring craft as her movement around the ring forced her opponent to miss.
In the third and final round, Matshotyana caught her opponent with great combinations, and it was not surprising when she was announced as a winner. She showed a lot of improvement and also revealed why she is one of the top local female boxers.
The head of coaches of Eswatini Boxing Commission, Mbingwana Suthu congratulated Mfuzo Boxing Camp for a well-run tournament. “This was a great tournament which gave our boxers an opportunity to showcase their talent, and we also learnt a lot as coaches. I pray and hope that local companies will continue to plough back to the community. I also hope that the local municipality will include this tournament in their budget,” said Suthu.
Mfuzo Boxing Camp’s public relations officer, Mfuzo Dyirha, thanked everyone for participating in this event. “This tournament went well except for a few challenges that can be fixed going forward,” said Dyirha.
Addressing some of the spectators’ concerns about poor lighting in the venue, which made it difficult for people to see the action in the ring, he said, “Most of our boxers come from this area, and this hall is accessible to most of them. We reported the matter of poor lighting in the hall to the relevant people, and we hope it will be sorted soon”.
It was a great boxing day, and the organisers deserve to be applauded for putting up a spectacle. We can only hope that the organisers will sort out the poor lighting issue or move the tournament’s next edition to a more convenient venue with adequate lighting.
