The Waterval Mpheni Boxing Club believes that two of its boxers, Anao Netshidzati (16) and Lloyd Chigwedere (13), will win the 2022 South African National Boxing Organisation (SANABO) Cadet and Junior Championships competition. The competition, organised by SANABO, is scheduled to be held at Mangosuthu University of Technology in Durban from 12 to 15 December.
SANABO organises national competitions such as the cadets, junior, youth and elite national championships for both male and female boxers. These two young warriors from Vhembe's own shore will be among 264 cadet and junior girls and boys from South Africa's nine provinces.
Anao and Lloyd first showed their skills at the Vhembe District and Provincial Championships at Malamulele Boxing Gym in July and August this year, where they both finished first, each winning a gold medal and qualifying for the national championships.
Anao said that they were doing their best in preparing to win the competition. "We are going to fight a good fight to make our province proud of us," he said.
Waterval Mpheni Boxing Club's coach, Mr Pat Mathonsi, who is also a retired boxer, said he reckoned that they would return home in glory. "We are expecting them to bring back gold medals and make our province proud. Based on their commitment to training, we believe they will make it to the top," he said.
Mathonsi founded the team in 2019 with the goal of getting the children of Waterval Mpheni and the surrounding areas off the streets. "I wanted to get the young kids off the streets and away from substance abuse, such as drugs and alcohol," he explained.
The chairperson of the team, Mr Phungo Tshirangwana, shared some of the challenges they are facing. "We've been requesting sponsors since we established the team, but with no results as yet. Our aim is to get more boxers, but due to a lack of finances, we are stuck," he said.