UPHROMOTHA wesibhakela KwaZulu-Natal, uHlula Dladla, uhlongoza ukubuyisela eringini ingqwele, uMoruti "Babyface" Mthalane, esiwaphanyeke emgibeni amagilavu.
UMthalane (40-3-0), ulwe okokugcina ngo-Okthoba empini ebiyindumezulu yokumvalelisa ebhekene noDiomel Diocos wasePhilippines eCity Hall eMgungundlovu. Le mpi ebihlelwe yiMvelo Promotions, uyinqobe ngamaphuzu phambi kwezinkumbi zabalandeli, umndeni nabangani bakhe.
Konke bekubukeka kuhamba ngokohlelo lukaMthalane kwazise kukhulunywa indaba yokumfaka ezinhlakeni zokuthuthukisa isibhakela eKZN. Emuva kwamasonto ambalwa eyeke isibhakela, uMthalane owayengumpetha we-IBF ne-IBO Flyweight, uklonyeliswe ngendondo yeMEC Life Time Achievement Award kumaKZN Sports Awards eThekwini.
Uma konke kuhamba ngokufisa kukaDladla weHlula Dladla Promotions, kungenzeka uMthalane abuyele eringini ngonyaka ozayo. Leli phephandaba lithole ukuthi lo phromotha uhlela ukubeka etafuleni izizumbulu ukuze uMthalane abhekane nomshayisibhakela wakhe uGcina "GG" Makhoba (8-1-1) owine ibhande le-WBF International Super Fly Weight ehlula uRobert Paradero wasePhilippines, eDundee emasontweni amabili adlule.
"UMthalane usemehlweni ethu kakhulu ngoba ibhokisa elingene eringini naye ngibona kuyilona iqhawe elikhulu ngoba uyikho konke esibhakeleni saseNingizimu Afrika nasemhlabeni wonke. Ngethuba olinike lelo bhokisa, lokungena eringini noMthalane usuke usuliqophele umlando ongeke ushabalale. Ngakho-ke sizofakana imilomo nabaphathi bakhe uMthalane, sizwe ukuthi ngempela isinqumo sakhe kwaba ngesokugcina yini. Uma kusengenzeka udobo lufakeke, uMthalane singambona eringini noGcina," kusho uDladla.
UMthalane oneminyaka engu-40 yobudala, ubalwa nezingqwele ezisemlandweni wesibhakela saseMzansi nasemhlabeni jikelele. Umqeqeshi wakhe, uColin Nathan, umbona njengomunye wabashayisibhakela bakuleli abafanele ukuthi amagama abo aqoshwe kwiHall of Fame ngenxa yamagalelo akhe kwezamankomane.
Imizamo yokuthola uMthalane ayiphumelelanga, kwazise ucingo lwakhe beluvaliwe. Kodwa ngemuva kwempi yakhe yokugcina eMphithi, utshele abezindaba ukuthi ngeke abuyele eringini. "Ngineminyaka engu-22 ngisesibhakeleni. Ngicabanga ukuthi sengikwenze konke, ngahambela namazwe ahlukene. Sekuyisikhathi sokudedela abanye abasakhula. Sengisithathile isinqumo sami. Ngifuna ukuphumula ngithathe umhlalaphansi esibhakeleni. Ababuyelayo eringini angibazi ukuthi basuke behlele kanjani. Yinto ebengilokhu ngiyibona ukuthi bayeke isibhakela, baphinde babuye. Ngilwe iminyaka eminingi kangaka ngoba ngenzela khona ukuthi ngihambe ngingabe ngisabuya," kusho uMthalane ngo-Okthoba.
Nakuba ekhuluma kanje uMthalane kodwa kukhona abapotshoze ukuthi iconsisa amathe imali ayithenjiswa nguDladla.
"UMthalane ulwe kakhulu nabashayisibhakela basePhilippines futhi ebashaya. Ngakho ukunqoba kukaGcina kumshayisibhakela wasePhilippines bese engena eringini noMthalane, kuyomsiza kakhulu ekutheni abe ngumshayisibhakela oqinile. Siyombona esengcono kakhulu. Njengamanje uGcina unezimpi ezimbalwa. Uma esenezingu-25 uyobe eseyinto engathinteki," kusho uDladla.