Basigcinile isethembiso sokunqoba eDundee
UGcina Makhoba noSithembiso Maduna bangamathemba eKwaZulu-Natal ukubuyisa isithunzi esenza isifundazwe sahlonishwa ngokukhiqiza ompetha eminyakeni edlule. UMakhoba noMaduna, abaqeqeshwa uXolani Malinga, bashiye abalandeli, izingqapheli ngisho nezimbangi zabo bengawuvali umlomo ngezinga abalikhombise emqhudelwaneni weStarline Promotions obuseMajuba TVET College eGlencoe, eDundee, ngempelasonto edlule. IKwaZulu-Natal isishaya ngompetha weWBF International Junior Bantamweight ngenxa kaMakhoba ohlule uMusawenkosi Ndwandwe waseMandeni. Ngenxa yokuthi iso likaMakhoba beselopha kakhulu, unompempe umise impi ngemuva kokubonisana nodokotela kusahanjwe imizuliswano emihlanu.
Kube sekuyobhekwa emakhadini okubala (score cards) ukuthi amajaji abone ukuthi ubani obehamba phambili ngamaphuzu. Kube nokwehlukana kwemibono ngesikhathi kumenyezelwa ukuthi uMakhoba ubesekwenze konke okufanele, wanqoba ngomcacamazelo womlalisa phansi okuyiTKO. Impi ibingeyamagqubu ngempela njengoba iqale ngesivinini esingafaniswa nesemoto eshayelwa uMichael Schumacher wodumo lweFormula 1. UNdwandwe ubesophe ukubuyisa izinduku njengoba alaliswa ngomhlane belwa okokuqala kwaMsane, eMtubatuba, ngoNhlolanja wonyaka odlule. Kule mpi yaseDundee besingekho isikhathi sokucwayiza nokuhlala unethezeke ngesinqe ngendlela ebezijikijelana ngayo ngezibhakela lezi zinsizwa.
UMakhoba ubephelezelwa umndeni wakhe kanye nezindimbane zosomankomane abajima naye eSibongile Boxing Club eholwa uNathi Hlatshwayo, ongunompempe kazwelonke weSA National Amateur Boxing Organisation osebuya ku-Olympics nakuWorld Boxing Championships. Lokhu kumfake umfutho njengoba engafunanga ukuphoxa. Ngakolunye uhlangothi uNdwandwe ukhombisile ukuvuthwa ngokunganaki umsindo wokujabula obuwenziwa abalandeli besitha sakhe abebegxuma becula kucishe kushe amazwi. UNdwandwe uziqoqile wakwazi ukuthena amandla uMakhoba ngokumhlasela kanzima kodwa ngeshwa ikhanda lakhe lalimaza ihlo lesitha sakhe. Ngaphambi kwempi enkulu yosuku, uMaduna ubuyise izinsuku zakudala ngendlela enobuchule, ukutayela nokunemba enyameni abenza ngayo exhimfana noMziwodumo Mangxilana.
UMaduna unqobe ngamaphuzu empini yesisindo seJunior Lightweight. Yize esalwe izimpi eziyisi-8, uMaduna ukhombisa ukudlondlobala nokuba nekusasa eliqhakazile kulo mdlalo. Kubukeka kukukhulu akufunda ngokwehlulwa ngamaphuzu ngumakadebona uBongani Mahlangu empini eyayikwaThema eSprings, eGoli, ngoNhlangulana wonyaka odlule. Njengoba uMahlangu ebuya ekuphatheni izicoco ezifana neze-IBF International, iWBO Inter-continental neWBA Pan African, kwakulindeleke azidlele amahlanga kodwa umfana waseMnambithi wamphefumulisa ngenxeba. Okuhle ngoMaduna ukuthi uzithobile futhi abasondelene naye bathi uyafundiseka. Umqeqeshi wakhe uXolani, uthe bahlose ukushoshela eduze kwesicoco sikazwelonke esiphethwe uPhila Mpontshane.
“Njengoba sishaye uMziwodumo obehleli endaweni yesi-8 ezilinganisweni kuzwelonke, sesimjombile sisuka kweyeshumi sathatha eyakhe. Sizoqhubeka nokumpheka uMaduna ngoba uyigolide. Engikuhlosile ukuthi yena noMakhoba baqhubeke nokuzikhandla ukuze bathole ithuba lokulwela izicoco zikazwelonke bese bephupha ngezomhlaba. Akuphathisi ngekhanda ukusebenza nalaba bafana ngoba bayahlonipha futhi baphokophele phambili,” kusho uXolani obejabulisa okwengane encane ngemuva kwezimpi. Njengamanje uMakhoba ukleliswe endaweni yesine ohlwini lwabagaqele ukuhlwitha uSabelo Ngebiyane isicoco sikazwelonke. Ukuphatha koMakhoba noMaduna amabhande kobuyisa izinsuku zakudala njengoba eleNdlovukazi uMthaniya like laba nenqwaba yompetha.
Kwaqala uJoe “Killer Axe” Ngidi wase-Edendale, eMgungundlovu, eshaya amavelemane ngezikhathi zobandlulo ngeminyaka yama-1950. Kuqhamuke uMaxwell “Shaluza Max” Malinga noThulani “Sugarboy” Malinga baseMnambithi, u-Elijah “Tap Tap” Makhathini waseShowe, u-Enock “Kangaroo” Zitha waseVerulam, uCedric “Lightsout” Conway waseMgungundlovu no-Innocent noMoruti “Babyface” Mthalane baseLindelani. Muva nje kukhiqizwe uWiseman “Angisabilutho” Dlomo waseNewlands, uChristopher “Raging Bull” Buthelezi waseLamontville noThabiso “The Rock” Mchunu waseCato Ridge.
