Forty-six boxers from the Chris Hani District came back with 19 medals after participating in the provincial boxing championships in Mthatha recently.
Team manager, Mabhuti Mapeyi, was impressed with the overall performance displayed by all boxers during the trials. He said the district would be represented at the national boxing championships by Siphosethu Mazwi of Lubabalo Boxing Club in Cala and Carol Pita of Gcina Boxing Club, each of whom scooped a gold medal at the provincial stage.
The challengers, who competed against seven other districts in the cadets and junior category, came home with two gold medals, nine silver and eight bronze.
Mapeyi said some of the boxers were beaten in the semi-finals and final stage of the championships. “We were prepared, but not 100 percent. We did not have any camp for training this year. Boxers were preparing for the trials at their own gyms. However, I am impressed with the way they performed, especially knowing that most of them were new boxers.”
He added that the Queenstown Boys Boxing Club recently hosted a warm-up session at the Thobi Kula Indoor Sports Centre where they selected a team to compete in the trials. “We had many clubs coming to Komani to participate and we had a good standard of boxing.”
He said he was confident that Mazwi and Pita would do the district proud, indicating that the pair were at a training camp in East London this week preparing for the eagerly-awaited showdown. Mapeyi also thanked the department of sport, recreation, arts and culture for providing transport.
