Just no backing off on his dream
Trainer slams exodus, blames top promoters
WITH former SA champion Viwe “Red Machine” Mdleleni having retired and promising prospect Sikho Nqothole now with Sean Smith, Khulani Boxing Club trainer Mthetho Dumezweni opens up about the pain of losing Nqothole, his dream of making Mthatha and OR Tambo district the boxing Mecca.
In this wide-ranging interview, Dumezweni, who trains boxers, Bangile Nyangani, Athenkosi Dumezweni (WBO Africa and regional IBF champion), Odwa Nani, Wonga Mlozana and Siphelele Hopana, also accuses local promoters of encouraging boxers to leave by continuing to bill them in their tournaments even though they had left the province.
BOXING MECCA: The last time we spoke you mentioned that you want Mthatha to take over from East London as the home of boxing. How are those plans going so far? MTHETHO DUMEZWENI: We are still on track because the boys we have are showing signs that they’re still on the right path. They haven’t forsaken us. The emerging ones will also prove themselves.
BM: You say they haven’t forsaken you but one of the promising stars, whom I thought would be one of your star boxers, Sikho Nqothole has left you. What happened? MD: He came to me one day and told me that he has received an offer from Smith two years ago. He said he was offered R15 000 a month but I told him money isn’t everything. I told him of boxers from East London who moved to Johannesburg but struggled to get fights because there is no activity there. It’s the Eastern Cape government and Buffalo City Metro municipality that support boxing. They come back to fight in this province. I told him I don’t have a business that would match the offer he would get. He decided to leave nonetheless. The whole of 2015 he didn’t even have a single fight until the first week of March. We wish him well in Johannesburg because we can’t wish him bad just because he has left us. Everything we did, we did it so that he would shine. We still have boxers. Some of the boys will shock people (laughs).
BM: I’m sure you would have loved for him to turn professional under your wing since you moulded him into the boxer he is today. MD: Of course. The painful thing is that there are business people who took from the little they have to support him as an amateur boxer. I asked him if the message he wants to send is for them to give up and not support other up-and-coming boxers or if he only cared about himself. It turned out he had cotton wool in his ears but luckily we have businesses that will never turn their backs on us. We still have the likes of Bangile Nyangani, who is ranked number six in South Africa, who has not turned his back on us.
BM: Most people would argue that Mthatha is not well-known for its boxing even though some of the good boxers like Simphiwe Konkco are from here. Is it not difficult to get sponsors to come to the party? MD: It’s very difficult. What will make sponsors to invest is for the talent that we have to remain here and not go to Johannesburg like Konkco. He was shining the light for OR Tambo region but he left for Joburg for his own reasons. Luckily, he landed in good hands because Collin [Nathan] got the best out of him and now we are seeing the Konkco developing into a well-rounded boxer. That doesn’t help us one bit to have boxers leaving.
BM: What do you think can be done to stop the exodus of talented boxers? How can we retain the talent in Mthatha and the province? MD: That rests with the promoters because they are the very ones who still give boxers who left us chances to fight here. This means these boxers still benefit from us despite dumping us for Johannesburg trainers. If it was up to me all the boxers who leave the province for Johannesburg should not be billed by local promoters. If you leave the Eastern Cape, you shouldn’t be getting support from the Eastern Cape, because at the end of the day, this isn’t helping in growing our clubs. This is not about money because when you have a club, you’re actually writing a book about life.
BM: You’ve mentioned the challenges you have but your goal is to make OR Tambo a boxing Mecca and not BCM. Do you see this dream coming true? MD: It will come true.
BM: How long will it take? MD: The people who had a dream of this freedom and democracy did not leave to see or realise it but it is here. My dream might be realised by the next generations. We are developing coaches at the gym so that once I’m no longer in charge, that will not be the end of boxing.
BM: Before we wrap up, you mentioned that boxing is more supported in BCM and by the Eastern Cape government. What are the chances of you succumbing to pressure and decide to leave Mthatha for East London? MD: That would never happen. Eastern Cape people know that the Free State government wanted me to head its academy. They were offering me R20 000 a month in 2012 or 2013. I told them I have a club and a dream. Yes, I know I have to provide for my family, but I won’t leave. I won’t think about leaving. We will continue to fight for as long as there are still businesses who can listen to our pleas.
BM: Let’s leave it that for now. Hopefully, you’ll achieve what you want to achieve and good luck in your endevours. MD: I know God namawethu ( and my ancestors) will deliver.