ZAKHELE XABA
UTHUKUTHELE uyaveva ngakubize ngokungazi lutho kwamajaji umshayisibhakela ozithola kufanele abuyele eringini nembangi akholwa wukuthi wenze konke okusemandleni ukuyinqoba.
UPatrick “Hammer” Malinga olwe ngokulingana noThompson Mokwaba empini yebhande le-SA lightweight elingaphethwe muntu, ngoMgqibelo ebusuku, ukhala ngobuhlathi bamajaji athi namanje akazi ukuthi afinyelele kanjani kulesi sinqumo.
Impi ibingenye yebezihlelwe yiBranco Sports Production kaBranco Milenkovic ebeziseCarnival City, eGoli. Impi yosuku ibiphakathi kukaJeffrey “Mongoose” Mathebula noTakalani “Panther”Ndlovu obekungeyokuhlunga ozobhekana nompetha we-IBF junior featherweight, uJanathan “Momo” Romero waseColombia.
UMalinga, owake wasiphatha isicoco se-lightweight, utshele Isolezwe ukuthi ukungazi lutho kwamajaji kuphela okumlahlekisele ngethuba lokuphinde abe ngumpetha. Amajaji uJaap van Nieuwenhizen uyinike 114-114, uSimon Xamlashe uthole 119-110 kwathi uSimon Mokadi wayinika u-117-112.
“Angikaze ngiyizwe into efana nalena. Kwake kwenzeka nini ukuthi kuthiwe abashayisibhakela balwe ngokulingana bebanga ibhande elingaphethwe muntu?” kubuza uMalinga.
“Inkinga lapha eNingizimu Afrika wukuthi amajaji kuba ngabantu abangazi lutho ngesibhakela abangakaze benze lutho kuso. Kuthathwa umuntu obenza ezinye izinto, ongaqalanga koSanabo (South African National Amateur Boxing Organisation) lapho kufanele aqeqesheke khona.”
Ukungajabuli uMalinga wakukhombisa emuva kokumenyezelwa komphumela wempi akhombise okukhulu ukuzimisela kuyo.
“Into engiphatha kabi wukuthi ngisebenze kanzima futhi nabanye abantu babonile. Ngenze konke okufanele ukuthi nginqobe. Okubuhlungu kade le mpi ingamtholi uphromotha kwaze kwasiza uBranco. Angisazi-ke manje ukuthi sizokwenze njani,” kusho uMalinga obeselwa okwesithathu noMokwana.
UMalinga usahlalelwe wumsebenzi wokwehlula uMokwana asekhale ngaphansi kuye amahlandla amabili. Ngo-2011 uMokwana wamephuca isicoco se-lightweight. Wamphinda nyakenye esesivikela. Njengoba belwe ngokulingana ngoMgqibelo kuzofanele babuyele eringini ukuze kuphume umpetha.
“Anginandaba ngisho singalwa kuphi. Ngisho KwaZulu-Natal noma ePort Elizabeth singaya. Ngiyazi ukuthi ngingamehlula uMokwana,” kusho uMalinga oqeqeshwa nguyise uJabu.
Isikhulu seBoxing South Africa (BSA), uLoyiso Mtya, sivune amajaji ngesinqumo sawo, sathi akukho okuphambene nomthetho akwenzile.
“Amajaji awabambi inguyazana ngaphambi kwempi bese eyanquma ukuthi azoyehlulela kanjani. Okwenzeka eringini kusuke kuzenzakalela, amajaji asho asuke ekubona,” kusho uMtya.
Kwezinye izimpi, uVusi “Marvelous” Malinga wehlule uDiarh Gabutan ngamaphuzu. UZolani “Untouchable” Tete wehlule u-Eduardo Penerio wasePhillipines kwathi uGideon Malinga wakhala ngaphansi kuShannon Strydom. UMathebula unqobe uNdlovu ngamaphuzu.