FEMALE BOXERS TO HONOUR PHINDILE MWELASE
By:Nhlanhla Mthembu
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Sport and Recreation together with the Star-line Boxing Promotions, will host a boxing tournament in Ladysmith on Saturday.
The tournament will be held in honour of the late female boxer Phindile Mwelase at the Steadville Community hall.
Mwelase (31) tragically passed away on 25th October 2014 after collapsing during a boxing match against Liz Butler in Pretoria on the 10th October of that year. She was in a coma for two weeks before she passed away.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Starline Boxing Promotions and Tournament Organiser, Zandile Malinga, said that she was happy that the tournament would take place during women’s month and had confidence that more women will pursue a career in boxing.
“The tournament is set to encourage women to take up boxing as a career, to eliminate stereotypes about women in boxing, and to ensure more boxers are based in KwaZulu-Natal. There are currently only a handful of active female boxers in the Province,” Malinga said.
Malinga who is one of a few female boxing promoters in the country said that she hopes that the tournament will help build her profile and exposure.
“Hosting a tournament of this nature will promote and ensure that I builds my profile as a promoter. In that case I will be able to compete with male colleagues on an equal footing,” added Malinga.
Zwilenkosi Maguduzela trainer and manager at Ludonga Boxing eThekwini gym said that it is vitally important to host a tournament like this for women.
“The good thing about this sport is that it keeps you alert on your status and active all time to participate. Women have a huge advantage to be successful as they are always promoted and encouraged all the time,” said Maguduzela.
There will be eight amateur bouts featuring only women boxers that will precede the professional card.
Topping the bill in the professional ranks is a KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Title fight between Samson Khumalo and George Mdhluli.
They will be fighting for the vacant KZN Junior Middleweight title.
Sthandiwe Ngcobo from Mandeni in Ilembe District will face Nthabiseng Didi from the Eastern Cape in an eagerly awaited female Lightweight division fight.
In other keenly anticipated contests; UThukela’s very own home favourites, light heavyweight hopeful Faizel Malinga and welterweight Ntuthukho Memela, will be up against Nathi Jacobs and Masixole Mabhutshana respectively. Both opponents hail from the Eastern Cape.
The female amateur tournament is set to start at 09h00, with the Professional card commencing at 13h00. Entry to the Tournament is free.
