Up-and-coming young boxers produced fireworks when they participated in an amateur boxing tournament held at Zwithuzwavhudi Secondary School on Saturday.
Although more than five amateur boxing clubs were scheduled to participate in the tournament, only two clubs, No Pain No Gain and Tshixwadza Boxing Clubs, turned up.
The tournament was organised to give boxers valuable experience before they graduate to the professional ranks.
The main organiser of the tournament, Mr Gerson Singo, is a former professional boxer. He currently trains and manages the careers of more than 50 amateur boxers and three professional boxers at the No Pain No Gain Boxing Club.
Before the tournament, Singo told Limpopo Mirror that one of the reasons local boxers were not performing well in the professional ranks was that they turned professional too soon, without enough experience in the amateur ranks. He described it as dangerous—and even suicidal—to allow boxers to enter the professional arena without enough amateur fights.
One of the fights that had the crowd on their toes for the entire four rounds was between Nndwele "Pitbull" Muleba and Maanda "Mijo" Mukwevho. The youngsters were throwing hard punches at each other like professional fighters, also demonstrating impressive ducking skills to avoid punches. Even though there was little to choose between the two, Pitbull was given the nod by the judges.
After the tournament, Singo said he was very impressed by all the boxers who participated. "I am going to make this an annual boxing tournament to improve the standard of boxing in the Vhembe District," he said.