Siblings basking in national glory
Sister follows brother’s footsteps with SA flyweight title
BOXING brothers are unique enough but having a son and a daughter both holding national titles is almost deserving of a Guinness Book mention.
But for Dats Sifama that is neither here nor there as all his children are involved in sport in one way of the other.
The Sifama family made a bit of history this past weekend when daughter Noxolo Makhanavu became the second member to win an SA title following her dominant performance over Gcobisa Simanga for the vacant flyweight crown at the Orient Theatre.
With her corner manned by her father and cheered on by older brother Xola Sifama, the 24year-old Makhanavu, who has taken her mother’s surname, totally befuddled Simanga for the majority of the rounds with her jab and follow-up right reminiscent of Xola.
Besides the striking resemblance to her brother, the lass has also adopted Xola’s boxing style with unique movement while working the jab and the sneaky right.
Ringsiders could swear that it was Xola in the ring but the brother, who is also the former holder of the very same title in the men’s category was barking instructions while the father was making sure that his daughter stuck to her fight plan.
The achievement could not have come at a better moment for the Sifama’s after Noxolo’s title reign was cut short within days in 2012. This after her opponent Lizbeth Sivhanga was found to be pregnant during the weigh-in of their title fight and was summarily stripped of the belt.
Because Makhanavu had adhered to all the requirements of the fight she was handed the title without fighting for it.
However, a few days later Boxing SA took back the title upon realising that it had erred as boxing rules forbid a boxer to be handed a title on a silver platter.
“Noxolo was heartbroken by the decision because it was not her fault that her opponent was disqualified,” recalls Sifama senior.
She was given an opportunity to contest for the vacant crown against Mdantsane’s Nozwelethu Mathontsi and lost a lopsided decision last September.
But Mathontsi vacated the crown and dropped down to the junior flyweight where she won the title, beating the very same Sivhaga to become the only woman to win two division titles in the country also at the same show at Orient Theatre at the weekend.
But it was Makhanavu’s performance that left boxing fans in awe as she displayed a style more akin to the men.
Sifama senior says her daughter modelled her style to her brother.
“They often practice at home and you can see that her movement is similar to that of Xola,” he says.
But how did Dats encourage his children including the daughter to take up boxing?
“Firstly, I was a boxer myself as well as a rugby player,” he says.
“But I busted my waist so I stopped boxing and concentrated on playing rugby as well as horse riding. I encouraged all my kids to play sport because sport helps youngsters to avoid bad influences as well as crime and drugs.”
Indeed Dats’ other children are either playing rugby or soccer.
“Two of my daughters play rugby and their two brothers. The other two sons play soccer.”
Makhanavu, who is in the process of changing her surname to Sifama, started as a karate fighter where she won several belts bar the black one before women’s boxing was legalised in the country.
Dats says he took his daughter to karate after she became embroiled in street fights in Scenery Park.
Dats tried to get Noxolo to box against the boys but was caught out.
According to Dats, he took his daughter to fight with the boys but her cover was blown when the officials realised that she had breasts.
Dats trains his two children at the new Masenze Boxing Club in Amalinda after breaking away from Welsh Mnguni Gymnasium in Gompo.
The next assignment for Dats will be to guide Xola against Xolisa Dudu in a flyweight clash at the end of the month as the former champion wants to regain his crown he lost to Doctor Ntsele.