Tete delighted to take his place among greats
Boxing champ in line for Sport Star of the Year gong
After years of sweat and tears, boxer Zolani Tete expressed delight to have taken his rightful place among his sporting peers in the country.
The WBO bantamweight champion cracked the nomination nod for Sport Star of the Year at the SA Sport Awards that will take place at Emperors Palace on Sunday.
Tete is excited by the prospect of rubbing shoulders with fellow top athletes in the country at the ceremony.
The boxer is nominated alongside Caster Semenya, Wayde van Niekerk, Luvo Manyonga and Percy Tau.
“It has always been a dream to have my name mentioned alongside top athletes in the country. It’s a big thing to have a boxer nominated in the Sports Awards,” Tete said.
“It has always been my wish to meet people like Itumeleng Khune, Caster and so on.”
The 29-year-old has made history by becoming the first boxer to get a nomination for the top award. The East London fighter will defend his title against compatriot Siboniso Gonya in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on November 18.
Tete has cheekily predicted that he will put on a show for his fans and knockout his opponent in the fourth round.
“I am motivated for this fight. I must make sure that I do not disappoint people who will be watching me fight for the first time. I will give him four [rounds].”
“In 2014 I won a world title in Japan and defended it in Liverpool against the unbeaten Paul Butler and knocked him out in the eighth round,” he concluded.
“This year I also brought home another world title – the WBO title that I won. I have represented the country all these years and have made sure that the SA flag is flying high.”