By Chris Totobela
Young boxers from Makhanda and nearby towns expressed their talent in a competitive tournament at the Joza Indoor Sports Centre last Saturday.
The Makana Boxing Organisation’s monthly tournament pitted boxers as young as 14.
Golden Gloves, Masibambane and Mfuzo – all boxing clubs from Makhanda – were joined by three out-of-town clubs – Mali Boxing Academy from Bathurst, Fort Beaufort Boxing Club and Seymor Boxing Club.
In a bout that blew the spectators away, two boys – Nondoda Mlisana from Mali Boxing Academy and Lwandle Sithemele of Mfuzo Boxing Club – put on a spectacle.
Just before the fight, followers of the young boxers burst into song, anticipating a cracker.
And the little lads did not disappoint, exchanging punches from start to finish and displaying skill and ring craft well beyond their age.
Mlisana controlled the fight towards the end of the first round and caught Sithemele with a solid right hook and straight left.
The second round started with Mlisana on the offence, but Sithemele came back very strongly and caught him with a straight right on the jaw. The Bathurst fighter wobbled but quickly regained his balance.
Sithemele tried to finish off his opponent with a combination of body punches and a stinging right hook, but Mlisana survived the onslaught.
In the third and final round, the boxers threw everything at each other, but in the end, Mlisana edged his opponent.
The boxers received a standing ovation from the enthusiastic crowd.
In another exciting bout, Fort Beaufort Boxing Club’s Singalakha Dlilanga came up against Asenathi Johaness from Mfuzo.
The fight started slowly with the boxers weighing each other up. But it was Johaness who threw the more effective punches and her hand speed caused problems for Dlilanga.
In the second round, Johaness started where she left off in the first and was the busier of the two. However, she grew tired and allowed Dlilanga back into the fight, taking a lot of punishment.
There was more action in the third round with Dlilanga catching Johaness with body punches.
Sadly, Johaness experienced breathing problems and her corner put her safety first and threw in the towel.
Dlilanga won the fight.
Luyanda “Tyson” Dibela, a boxing coaches commission member, was pleased with the tournament. “It was a successful, incident-free tournament and the boxers did well.”
