Imuva limfikisela unyembezi uSugarboy Malinga
Izindaba zokuthi amakhehla uMike Tyson, u-Evander “Real Deal” Holyfield noNigel “Dark Destroyer” Benn basikaza ukukhuza ibuya esibhakeleni, sezenze noThulani “Sugarboy” Malinga wafisa ukubuyela eringini.
Nokho uMalinga uzoshaywa umthetho weBoxing South Africa (BSA) othi uma uneminyaka yobudala eyeqile kwengama-35 futhi okungenani waba nempi ungakapheli unyaka, uyakwazi ukuvuselelelwa ilayisense.
UMalinga (64) yena wagcina ukulwa ngowezi-2000 egingqwa u-Ole Klemetsen waseNorway embangweni weInternational Boxing Association (IBA) ngomzuliswano wesi-8 eDenmark.
Wayehlulwa okwe-13 ezimpini ezingama-57.
Le nkakha yaseMnambithi yazakhela igama ngokuba owokuqala eNingizimu Afrika ukunqoba isicoco seWorld Boxing Council (WBC) sesisindo iSupermiddleweight.
Yabukisa ngoBenn e-England phambi kwezinkumbi zabalandeli ababebalelwa ezi-55 000 eTelewest Arena ngowe-1996.
Ngemuva kwaleso sibhaxu, uBenn wahlulwa kabili wase egcina eringini ngowe-1996 njengoba esesikaza ibuya.
UTyson uneminyaka yobudala engama-54 kanti ugcine ukulwa ngowezi-2005. UHolyfield useneminyaka engama-58 kanti ugcine ukuba seriningi ngowezi-2011.
Ephawula ngamahebezi okukhuza ibuya kontanga bakhe, uMalinga, owayedlise ngokuvika ngehlombe ekwazi nokugadlisa okwenyoka ibona ikhanda, uthe: “Kungangcono ukuba umthetho waseNingizimu Afrika uyasivumela ngoba nami bengizobuyela ejimini bese ngicela ukumphinda uBenn.”
Ukuhlabana kukaMalinga ngalesi sicoco kwaguqula impilo yakhe njengoba akwazi ukuthenga isithabathaba somuzi eBenoni, eGauteng. Wakwazi nokuzenzela imali ngaphandle kwesibhakela njengoba abamaphephabhuku nabamathelevishini babembanga befuna ukusebenzisa udumo lwakhe.
Ngisho nowayenguMengameli wezwe uMadiba wamumema ukuyodla naye isidlo sasekuseni. Ejeqeza emuva uMalinga uthi angeke akhohlwe okwenzeka eringini ngemuva kokubukisa ngoBenn.
“Leya ndoda yasimangaza sonke ngesikhathi iguqa phansi ngedolo yacela isithandwa sayo ukuthi bashade. Okusho ukuthi wayelinde mina ukuze athole isibindi sokucela umshado,” usho kanje eshaya uhleko oluncane.
Uthi okunye angeke akukhohlwe kulo mdlalo ubunzima abhekana nabo ngesikhathi izikhulu zeSA National Boxing Control Commission (osekuyiBSA manje) zimnqabela ukuvuselela ilayisense ngoba wayeneminyaka engama-44.
Kwakungowe-1998 kumele athathe impi yesicoco seWorld Boxing Federation (WBF) eDenmark eqhathwe nebhobhodlana lakhona u-Alfred Alvarez owayeneminyaka eli-22. “Izikhulu sazincenga nowayengumqeqeshi wami uNick Durandt zanqaba ngagcina ngiphoqeleka ukuthi ilayisense ngenzelwe eDenmark. Loya mfana engangiqhathwe naye wayelingana nendondakazi yami uLethukuthula. Kodwa yize kwakuthiwa iphelile indaba ngoba sengiyikhehla ngafika ngamnika izifundo zamahhala zamankomane sangafika emzuliswaneni eli-12. Ngesikhathi sengibuyele kuleli izikhulu zaswela umgodi wokucasha sengihlangana nazo emcimbini nasemiqhudelwaneni. Ngikhumbula ukuthi uphromotha owayeqhathe eNasrec eGoli wayefuna ngingene eringini ngigabise ngebhande kodwa izikhulu zamnxusa ukuthi akuyeke lokho. Njengomuntu woxolo angikaze ngizibambele amagqubu. Yize sengadlula lapho kodwa akumele izikhulu zicabangele osomankomane ngoba yibona abasuke bezizwa kahle emqondweni nasemzimbeni ukuthi baqatha yini ukuthatha izimpi,” kusho uMalinga.
Ngokunqoba isicoco seWBF uMalinga waba ngowesithathu emhlabeni ukuphatha isicoco somhlaba eneminyaka eyeqile kwengama-40.
Owokuqala kwaba uBernard Hopkins wase-USA owayeneminyaka engama-45 enqoba iWBC, ese-International Boxing Organisation (IBO) neleWBC Diamond esigabeni seLightheavyweight ngowezi-2011.
UMalinga uthe kwamphatha kabi ukuthi isicoco seWBC asihlalanga kuye isikhathi eside njengoba wasiphatha izinyanga ezinhlanu vo.
Sakhala semuka nenxele laseItaly, uVincenzo Nardiello, owanqoba ngamaphuzu acaziwe empini eyayiseManchester khona e-England.
Ngaphambi kokuhlabana ngesicoco seWBC, wayezame wehluleka ukuphatha ese-International Boxing Federation (IBF) neseWorld Boxing Organisation (WBO).
Waqala wehluleka ukuhlwitha uLindel Holmes wase-USA ese-IBF e-Italy ngowe-1990. Kwaba esifanayo ehlangene noChris Eubank kweyeWBO eBirmingham e-England ngowe-1992.
“Okwangiphatha kabuhlungu ukuthi ngangithole umlayezo ngethelegramu uvela kuNelson Mandela engifisela inhlanhla kodwa ngafika ngashaya udaka,” kusho lo mlisa owake watholana kwancane indawo nezinkakha ezinjengoGraciano Rocchigiani‚ uRoy Jones Junior‚ uRobin Reid noRichie Woodhall.
Njengamanje uMalinga uthuthukisa amakhono entsha ngakubo eSteadville, eMnambithi. Unesikhungo esinezinhlelo zokuhlela izimpi okungenani kathathu ngonyaka ukuze ingene esigabeni esikhokhelayo.