ZAKHELE XABA
USENEGQUBU ngebhande le-International Boxing Federation (IBF) uMoruti “Babyface” Mthalane ovikele ngempumelelo ele-International Boxing Organisation (IBO) flyweight e-International Convention Centre (ICC), eThekwini, ngeSonto.
UMthalane, waseLindelani, ujabulise izinkumbi zabalandeli abebetheleke ngobuningi ngesikhathi ehlula u-Odilon Zaleta waseMexico ngamaphuzu empini ebishubile. Bekungokokuqala lo mshayisibhakela evikela ibhande lakhe alinqobe ngoMashi ehlula uJether Oliva wasePhilliphines. Womathathu amajaji avumelene ngokuyinika uMthalane impi ngo 116-112, 117-112 no 117-111.
Impi kaMthalane noZaleta ibingeyosuku kwebezihlelwe yiLudonga Boxing Promotions kaThulani Magudulela noMnyango weZemidlalo KwaZulu-Natal.
Nakuba bekuyinjabulo yodwa kubalandeli emuva kwempi, befuna ukumthinta ngezandla ngenxa yokwenama kodwa yena uthe eyakhe injabulo ayiphelele ngenxa yebhande le-IBF elimlahlekele ngaphandle kokuhlulwa eringini.
“Ngisalifuna ibhande le-IBF ngoba ngilishiye ngenxa yezinkinga engaba nazo ngingazitholi izimpi nokuthenjiswa imali encane,” kusho uMthalane.
“Bengizolivikela eGermany kodwa ibincane kakhulu imali yakhona, saqoka ukuthi ngiliyeke ngizame kwele-IBO. Ngiyazi ukuthi ele-IBO lincane uma liqhathaniswa namanye omhlaba kodwa ngifuna noma yimuphi umpetha kwabaphethe amabhande e-IBF, WBC ne-WBA silwe impi ehlanganisa izicoco.”
Ibhande le-IBF liphethwe ngu-Amnat Ruenroeng waseThailand, ele-World Boxing Council (WBC) lisezandleni zikaRoman Gonzales waseNicaragua. Ele-World Boxing Association (WBA) super flyweight liphethwe nguJuan Nestrada waseMexico.
Empini yangeSonto, uMthalane uqale ngegiya eliphezulu, ethumela izibhakela ephindelela kodwa noZaleta usheshe wakhombisa ukuthi akazile ukuzoba yimvu yomhlatshelo eNingizimu Afrika. UZaleta ubesebenza ngokukhulu ukuzikhandla, ezama ukuvala imilomo yabalandeli abebechwaza uma izibhakela zikaMthalane zithola indawo ebusweni bakhe.
Ubenza isiqiniseko sokuthi uthumela eziningi zilandelana ungakabohli umsindo. Nakuba uMthalane kucacile ukuthi uqoqe amaphuzu anele emizuliswaneni eminingi kodwa ubuye ngamandla uZeleta ngeyokugcina.
“Bengilindele ukuthi kuzoba nzima uZaleta futhi uzoza ngamandla ngoba ngizibukile izimpi zakhe,” kusho uMthalane.
“Sekukaningi ngilwa izimpi ezinzima. UZaleta ubengaphansi kuka-Oliva nakuba naye engumshayisibhakela osaziyo isibhakela. Ukuvika kwami kungisebenzele kakhulu. Sizohlala phansi nekhona lami siklame indlela ebheke phambili.”
Kwezinye izimpi, uChristopher Buthelezi uvikele ibhande ngempumelelo kuWalter Dlamini. UThabo Mchunu uqede ngomzuliswano wokuqala ngoMarthius Morton kwathi u-Ayanda Mthembu wavuka phansi kabili enqoba ngamaphuzu kuFortune Muyumba. ULadumo Lameti uhlule uNoah Nthai kwathi uSiboniso Gonya wenza okufanayo kuSmangaliso Madonsela. UMark Subramoney uhlule uMduduzi Dlamini kwathi uDeon Coetzee waqeda ngoBevan Beckman, wagoduka nebhande le-SA cruiserweight ebelingaphethwe muntu.