Glory for Dutywa star
Nonina triumphs in IBF title bid
DUTYWA boxing golden girl Bukiwe Nonina is promising to break more records after she became the first ever boxer from the little town to win a world title at the weekend.
Nonina achieved the feat at OR Tambo Hall in Khayelitsha when she beat highly experienced German boxer Alesia Graf on points to win the World Boxing Foundation (WBF) bantamweight crown.
The win was a double triumph for the Eastern Cape as another Duncan Village-born boxer Mzuvukile Magwaca also won the same crown in the same division of the men’s section.
Magwaca easily beat Filipino Jason Canoy but judge Darryl Ribbink inexplicably scored the fight against him by 115-114 margin but was thankfully overruled by his colleagues who saw the boxer win on points by 117-110 and 117-112.
Incredibly Ribbink was voted as the ring official of the year at the recent national boxing awards where Nonina walked away with the female boxer of the year honours.
Despite coming to the fight with a modest 10-win, three-loss record, Nonina was never in danger of losing against a boxer who boasted 29 wins and only five losses in 34 bouts.
“In fact the fight was one of my easiest because I made it look that way,” Nonina said after the fight.
“We had been preparing for the fight since December so our hard work paid off,” said her trainer Emmanuel Mutavhatsindi.
Watched by her adoring parentsfather Matshibhasi who introduced her to boxing and mother Notheko, Nonina could hardly put a foot wrong as she totally befuddled her more illustrious opponent.
This despite the fact that Graf came to the fight with a scary record having won several world titles as high as the junior featherweight division while it was the first time Nonina fought for a world crown.
So dominant was the 25-year-old local against a boxer 10 years her senior, that she readily accepted the rematch request of the German boxer.
“Yes, she asked me to give her a rematch back home and I readily accepted because I know I will beat her again,” she said.
Nonina, who made a record by becoming the first female boxer in the land to defend her national title five times, will now focus on achieving a similar feat for her newly-won WBF title.
She says she would still defend her crown before thinking about chasing other titles at more recognisable world bodies.
“I am one person who concentrates on doing one thing at a time. That is why I defended my national title so many times before challenging for a world title.
“I will do the same with the WBF before venturing into other avenues.”
She is very grateful to the Mbhashe Municipality which kindly flew and paid for her parents’ accommodation so they could support her at the event.
“I am obviously excited to be the only world champion from Mbhashe but I am equally grateful to my other fans across the country. :The OR Tambo Hall was screaming with my fans supporting me so I am very grateful.”
● In another fight at Kempton Park Indoor Centre organised by East London promoter Xaba Promotions and Events, Gideon Buthelezi retained his IBO junior bantamweight title when he beat Mexican challenger Angel Aviles on points.