Phosa digs in to fund Nomeva trip
Luminary gives boxer support for his Las Vegas stay
FINALLY Xolisani “Nomeva” Ndongeni departed for the United States this week to train with Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas.
Ndongeni, who has been in the US before, where he met with Hall of Famers Freddy Roach and Manny Pacquiao before his debut in the land, where he beat Mexican Juan Garcia Mendez last November, will now benefit from another international training assignment.
Now he will be trained by Luis Tapia who trains some of the boxers at the Mayweather gymnasium.
As euphoria grew around Nomeva’s departure there were individuals around him who played a crucial role in order to make the trip a success.
One of them is presidential candidate Matthew Phosa who funded the trip through his Matthew Phosa Foundation.
At Ndongeni’s farewell function held at the regional offices of the department of sport, recreation, arts and culture, Phosa was present to see the boxer off.
BOXING MECCA: Welcome to the Boxing Mecca pages Mr Phosa. Tell me how come you are present here?
MATTHEW PHOSA: Thank you although I must admit that I did not know that there is such a publication. About my being here, I was approached to fund the trip.
BM: Is that all you are going to say about this?
MP: I am simply replying to your question. Have I frozen you?
BM: Well, sort of. I would love you to expand on how you got involved.
MP: (laughing). Well I was approached by Mzi Booi who is with Matthew Phosa Foundation about this boxer Nomeva who wanted financial help to go and train in US. Then I decided to help because such projects of helping people from disadvantaged backgrounds are close to my heart.
BM: OK sir let me to cut in before you make a political speech . . .
MP . . . (cutting in) Do not worry about politics. Your colleague Zine George has already met me to talk about politics.
BM: I guess you are getting plenty of these kinds of requests for funding. What made you to actually consider this one about boxing? Do you have a background in the sport?
MP: Yes I grew up as boxer during my secondary schooling days. I was such a keen boxer but my father stopped me from it because he argued that it would distract me from my academic aspirations. Also I used to return home with a swollen face so he was not too impressed.
BM: That reminds me meeting you at the OR Tambo International airport when I was returning from a Nkosinathi Joyi fight against Hekkie Budler with his ex-manager Siphatho Handi, who was also involved in politics then. I recall hearing you asking Handi about the fight and his passion for boxing.
MP: You see? Now you know that boxing has always been close to my heart. You must also not forget that I was once the vice-president of WBF.
BM:. And you are also the chairman of SA Special Olympics.
MP: Yes. You see sport is my second life because it is one of the key principals of community development.
BM: Are you likely going to fund other boxing-related events?
MP: I will have to wait and see about that one because I do not want to invite a flood of requests. We wanted to test the waters with Nomeva and help him in his aspirations to carve a niche in the world. BM: What can you say in closing? MP: I want to wish Mzi Mnguni a speedy recovery. You see people like him should never be forgotten because they made a difference in the lives of disadvantaged individuals and that is what we should all aspire to do.