Boxer, Veliswa Magaya through to Mandela African Cup final
IT’S joy for Eswatini.
Female boxer Veliswa Magaya has restored the country’s image in the Mandela African Cup.
Magaya booked her place in the Women’s 52kg category finals after outclassing Zimbabwe Agnes Kwasha during the semifinal bout played on Saturday afternoon played at the Durban International Convention Centre.
Magaya was composed in the bout where she was all over her opposition with her strong punches.
She was eventually declared the winner after the referees stopped the contest during the second round as she continuously landed strong punches on the tall opposition.
Magaya dedicated her win to the nation and the boxing fraternity.
“I am over the moon and this win belongs to Emaswati and boxing fans. I am now confident that I will do well in the finals on Sunday. I would like to thank my coaches for supporting me during my preparations as they motivated me to believe in myself,” she said.
This was Magaya’s first international win after she competed in the 2023 World Women’s Championships and the 2024 Olympic Games qualifiers.
Eswatini Boxing Association (EBA) President Webster Lukhele congratulated the boxer for her achievement.
“We are happy and proud of the boxer’s achievement. We are confident that he will do well in the finals, and we commend the good work that is being done by our coaches by preparing our boxers through the tournament,”he said.
Magaya is now guaranteed close to E180 000 second prize money subject to the amendments from the International Boxing Association Finance Committee together with her female compatriot Temalangeni Dlamini who is also in the finals.
The women champions are set to take home E285 000 which is equivalent to $15 000. The new continental cup come to an end on Sunday after the various categories finals where boxers will be fighting for the E9 million worth prizes.
Meanwhile, male boxer Nhlanhla Dlamini lost out in the male’s semifinals against Valiere Fabrice from Mauritius in the +48kg semifinals also played at the same venue on a split decision.