EP’s next female star waiting in the wings

EASTERN Province is on the verge of producing yet another national champion – and again it is likely to be a female boxer.

Nthabiseng Didi of Port Elizabeth is to take on Ntombokuqala Zenzile of Cape Town for the vacant SA female mini-flyweight title at Mdantsane Indoor Centre on Sunday.

The fight will form part of a KK Promotions (KKP) six-bout tournament funded by Buffalo City Metro.

KKP is renowned for uplifting the standard of female boxing in the land, including unearthing Mdantsane golden girl Noni Tenge.

It was with KKP that Tenge won her first world title – the WBF welterweight – which paved her path to the more recognised IBF crown.

KKP boss Koko Godlo is confident that another star will be born starting this weekend, which will help revive the dwindling state of boxing in EP.

“We have a record of developing female boxing and we will continue giving opportunities to female fighters in the land,” he said.

Should Didi win, she will become the second national champion from EP, joining Nozipho Bell who holds the SA female junior lightweight crown.

Incredibly, the region has no male champion at the moment, despite its illustrious boxing history.

World winners such as Mzukisi Sikali, Vuyani Nene, Phumzile Madikane, Nkosana Valtein, Zolani Petelo, Lindi Memani, Linda Nondzaba and Sigigi Nekile, to mention but a few, have blazed the trail for the region.

While migration to greener pastures like East London, Gauteng and Western Cape has often robbed the region of displays of its best talent at home, some boxers have trickled through the system with less aplomb.

Now the baton seems to have been grabbed by female boxers and Bell is currently the only national champion representing the EP.

Didi will get a chance to add her name to that respected history at the expense of Zenzile.

Didi has been trying to get her hands on a national title for a while now, having fallen short when she was stopped by Mdantsane’s Nozwelethu Mathontsi in an SA junior flyweight title challenge at Sunday’s venue in August.

The event will also see a contest for the men’s provincial mini-flyweight title, vacant since December, when Xolisa Magusha left it behind for the national belt which he wrested from Siphamandla Baleni.

Sikhanyiso Siko and Ayanda Ndulani will vie for it, with the latter heavily favoured.

Ndulani is the more experienced of the two, having shared the ring with the likes of Magusha.

That contest – also in August – was stopped prematurely against him in his only professional loss to date.

The KC Cengani-trained boxer soon bounced back to winning ways by besting Thandolwethu Hlangani and former national champion Daluxolo Mangcotywa to qualify for the title shot. —