Three boxers from the A-Z Boxing Club in Thohoyandou have vowed to win their fights when they participate in the Activism Against GBV Boxing Tournament, which will be held at the Pienaardam Leisure Resort in Middelburg next Friday. The boxers are Seani Morite, Litshani Tshikhudo, and Ndivho Tshisikhawe.
Seani Morite will fight Libra Mutharini, while Litshani Tshikhudo will face Tsitso Thupha, and Ndivho Tshisikhawe will trade leather with Tshiamo Zwane.
Brimming with confidence after her workout at the gym on Monday morning, Morite said she was optimistic about her chances of winning, despite not knowing much about her opponent. Morite's confidence stems from her rigorous training regimen, which includes sparring with male boxers at the gym. "Naturally, men hit harder than women, and if you go through five rounds with male boxers during the sparring sessions, you must know that you are fit and strong," she said.
She added that she was so confident of winning that she was even ready to fight her opponent now. "It is all systems go for me," she said.
The soft-spoken but always smiling Tshikhudo said he was on a mission to become a champion.
Ndivho Tshisikhawe, the son of the well-known boxer Norman Tshisikhawe, said boxing was in his genes, and nobody could stop him from following in his father's footsteps as a boxing champion. "What makes me more excited about this fight is that my father will be there. I want to show him that I am going to be a future champion," he said.
The boxers' trainer and manager, John "Smoking Joe" Nemakonde, had intensified the training sessions after some of his boxers had recently lost their fights. "Despite the fact that we don't have boxing equipment in the gym, we are going to work harder. We need no equipment to do push-ups, roadwork, and stomach exercises. I read them the riot act in the gym on Monday this week. You either work harder or you jump ship. I have no space for boxers who are not dedicated to the sport here," he said.