The top ring warriors get that ‘sense of neglect’
Fortuin though upbeat about new camp
WHEN the premiership first introduced the quarterly awards, they soon proved to be jinxing recipients leading to some banter that teams should never accept the accolades.
The reason for the jibe, was the fact that each team lost its first fight after receiving the award.
While it may sound far-fetched to liken the situation to what is currently happening in boxing, the similarities are uncanny.
The recipients of the boxers of the year award in both women’s and men’s divisions are yet to prove their mettle this year with no clearly defined future for them.
Male boxer of the year winner, Xolisani “Nomeva” Ndongeni, is lamenting the slow pace of his career after being matched up with a nondescript Ghanaian foe in the obscure environment of Stellenbosch.
The fight is a stay-busy clash, but question is stay busy for what?
As if that is not bad enough, Sharoddene Fortuin, whose clash with Simon Duarte was voted the best women’s bout in a while, is also twiddling her thumbs unsure about her future.
But the feisty fighter is not sitting around doing nothing, as she has dumped former world champion and revered trainer Welcome Ncita to join All Winners Boxing Club under the astute management of Mla Tengimfene.
Fortuin’s fighting skills will now be honed by veteran trainer Loyiso Mtya who is chief trainer at All Winners Club.
The club is the only one in the country to boast a major world titl-holder in Zolani Tete, who recently acquired the WBO world bantamweight belt.
Tete is very much involved in the running of the club and he reportedly welcomed Fortuin with a tough training session, while Tengimfene had no idea that the club had a new recruit.
Ncita closely works with Fortuin’s former promoter, Andile Sidinile, whose role with the fighter is still unclear since his sus- pension by Boxing SA.
But Boxing Mecca can reveal that Sidinile has been pulling the strings behind the scenes – and even accompanied Fortuin to the provincial sports awards in Port Elizabeth where Fortuin won the female sportstar of the year award.
But this week Fortuin distanced herself from these reports.
“Bra Mla is responsible for my career now and I will go where he wants me to go,” she said.
Asked if she had parted ways with Ncita, she replied: “Yes he is not training me anymore.” —