Shadow Boxing tournament a lift for women’s sport

 

It has been a tough year for boxing, with many pugilists having to temporally hang up their gloves after the country almost entirely shut down because of Covid-19.

With matches and events having to be suspended because of the nature of the sport, it was up to creative thinking

In celebration of women’s month – August – the Western Cape Open Boxing Organisation held the first-ever shadow boxing tournament. Boxers from around the country were invited to show off their slick skills via video recordings.

The entrants were judged on movement, punching and counter-attack and it was Queenstown Boys Boxing Club’s (QBBC) very own Makadunyiswe Cwenza who had the moves to terrorise any would-be opponent.

The already decorated amateur fighter said she was happy she had the moves to impress. With a year in which boxers were not able to make much of an impact, she is now looking to the future to take her career to the next level.

“Next year I am going to East London to study. Hopefully I will be able to further my boxing there. Ultimately, however, I want to go to Port Elizabeth and join the Eastern Cape Sport Academy. It is where I think I can have a shot at turning professional while still concentrating on my studies.

“I am very happy that my video managed to impress the panel in Cape Town. I take it as further motivation to keep working hard and become better at my craft,” said Cwenza.

QBBC manager, Mabhuti Mapeyi said women’s boxing could only get better in Komani, it just needed to be nurtured.

“It was a tough year for everyone. We barely managed to get into the ring. The idea to host a shadow boxing tournament was a really great initiative and it managed to lift the spirit of the girls.

“We have a good crop of women athletes who want to get involved in the sport. We have trainers like Nosipho Benyane who have been an example to other girls that boxing is something they can get into,” said Mapeyi.

LEAVE A REPLY