Mandela tourney bonanza
Senong warns Amajita against complacency
NELSON Mandela will be remembered with seven boxing tournaments this month.
Four of the tournaments will take place in the Eastern Cape, where Mandela was born. Two will take place in Gauteng and one in Limpopo.
Action begins at Mzimhlophe Hostel in Meadowlands, Soweto, tomorrow.
Hostel resident Prince Dlomo will headline the programme in a bid to win the Gauteng junior welterweight belt against Tshifhiwa Munyai.
Also tomorrow, in Queenstown, nine bouts will take place at Mlungisi Hall where Ali Funeka will defend his WBO Africa welterweight title against Justice Addy from Ghana. Balemo Weliya will put his national super middleweight belt on the line in the main supporting bout against Lee Dyer, while Noxolo Makhanavu will defend her SA female flyweight title against Siphosethu Nxazonke.
At Lillian Ngoyi Hall in Port Elizabeth, a development tournament will be staged in an attempt to revive boxing in Nelson Mandela Bay metro.
Then, on Sunday at Emperors Palace, national welterweight holder Shaun Ness will put his title on the line against Ayanda Mthembu.
Action in all these tournaments starts at 2pm.
Next Friday the spotlight moves to Selborne Tennis Stadium, East London, where Makazole Tete and Filipino Raymond Tagubon meet for the vacant IBF Intercontinental junior bantamweight belt.
On July 30 at the OR Tambo Hall in Mthatha, recently crowned WBA Pan African lightweight champion Patrick Malinga will defend against Viwe Mdletyeni in the main bout of a nine-bout card.
In Thohoyandou Town Hall, Phillip Ndou will welcome Chimwemwe Chiotcha from Malawi in a five-bout card. UNDER-20 coach Thabo Senong has warned his charges against complacency when they take on Lesotho tomorrow in Bloemfontein (Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium, 3pm).
Amajita are leading Lesotho 2-0 from the first leg that was played in Maseru, and are on the verge of qualifying for next year’s CAF Youth Championships to be hosted in Zambia. Senong wants the boys to finish the job.
“Lesotho are a very tough team, so what is key for us is our defensive organisation. We have to keep the ball better in the right areas and not be overexcited. If we concentrate throughout we will win this game,” said Senong.
If Amajita seal the deal as expected, they will be in contention for three spots in Zambia to qualify for the U20 World Cup in South Korea next year. Amajita Squad: GOALKEEPERS: Mondli Mpoto (SuperSport United Academy), Sanele Tshabalala (Bidvest Wits Academy), Darren Johnson (Ajax Cape Town) DEFENDERS: Sirgio Kammies (Ajax), Reeve Frosler (Wits), Athenkosi Dlala (SuperSport United), Katleho Mohamme (Supersport), Zola Jingxi (Amazulu), Kananelo Motsoeneng (School of Excellence), Thendo Mukumela (Mamelodi Sundowns), Shane Saralina (Ajax), Tercious Malepe (Orlando Pirates), Riyaaz Ismail (Supersport United) MIDFIELDERS: Teboho Mokoena (SuperSport), Sydney Mtsheni (Supersport), Sipho Mbule (Harmony Academy), Sbongakonke Mbatha (Wits), Zama Rambuwane (Supersport), Tyrone Mondi (UFS), Kamohelo Sithole (Orlando Pirates), Kobamelo Kodisang (Platinum Stars), Nelson Maluleke (Supersport), Teboho Qinisile (Celtic) STRIKERS: Liam Jordan (Bidvest Wits), Khanyisa Mayo (Supersport United), Masilakhe Phohlongo (Ajax Cape Town), Keletso Makgalwa (Mamelodi Sundowns).