The indigenous boxing (musangwe) tournament of the Matsila Community Development Trust at the Makhado show grounds is expected to pull a huge crowd tomorrow.
The event is part of the Makhado annual show.
Chief Matsila of the Matsila Development Trust said that it was the policy of his company to plough back into the community. He said that sponsorships played a vital role in sports development.
Matsila said that the royal council and organisation were committed to preserving the Venda culture and the members felt bound to support the event. He praised the organisers for bringing back the forgotten cultural sport.
The organiser, Mr Patrick Ramarada, applauded the management of Matsila Community Development Trust for their decision to sponsor the tournament. He said it was important that future stars' talent be identified. According to him, there was more to musangwe than met the eye. "This is a sport that teaches respect among men. Boys are prepared for their future roles here, and we are also ensuring that the sport and our culture do not fade away," he said.
He wants to see the sport grow, but the organisers currently do not have the resources to promote the sport. "We always ensure that musangwe is as safe as possible. When a fighter sustains a cut or bleeds during a fight, we have to stop the match."
He added that doctors and nurses were on standby at every match.
Previous champion Steven Ndiitwani promised his fans that he was going to win again. Some of the boxers that will showcase their talents are Thuso "Ngwazi" Ramukakati, MTG Mahlako, Kethekanyo Nemaheni and No Hurry.