AKUMETHUSI ukuyovikela ibhande lomhlaba emazweni umpetha we-International Boxing Organisation (IBO) Welterweight, uThulani Mbenge, ongakaze ahlulwe esibhakeleni esikhokhelayo.
UMbenge (15-0-0) wase-Eastern Cape, uzobhekana noSebastian Formella (15-0-0) waseGermany ngoJulayi 6. Uzoya kule mpi eshayela phezulu kwazise usanda kuhlabana ngomklomelo iMale Boxer of The Year emcimbi weBoxing South Africa (BSA).
UMbenge, ophethe nebhande le-World Boxing Council (WBC) International, uzovikela ele-IBO okwesibili kusukela eliwine lingaphethwe muntu ehlula uDiego Chaves wase-Argentina nyakenye. NgoDisemba ulivikele ngempumelelo kuMiguel Vasquez waseMexico.
Nakuba uMbenge ezobe eqala ukulwela ngaphandle kusukela engene esigabeni esikhokhelayo kodwa uwujikelezile umhlaba esalwa esigabeni sama-amesha emele uMzansi. “Kuzobe kungekhona okokuqala ngiyolwa eGermany. Ngiyile ngisekuma-amesha. Nginabo abalandeli khona. Nginabangani abaningi abahlala khona. Anginalo uvalo ngoba kukaningi ngilwela ngaphandle. Umehluko ukuthi ngiya manje sengingumpetha."
Nakuba uMbenge egcwele ukuzethemba kodwa kuzofanele azibambe ziqine kuFormella naye ongakaze ahlulwe ezimpini eziwu-15. Lokhu kusho ukuthi oyedwa phakathi kwabo uzolahlekelwa yirekhodi lokungahlulwa.
“Ngiqale ukulungiselela le mpi nyakenye ngoba bengazi ukuthi ngilwa ngoMeyi. Kulesi sigaba kunabashayisibhakela abadumile kodwa ngifuna ukubalwa nabo nami, ngifuna ukushaya amaphiko kusona. Manje ngiya eGermany, ngijabule ngoba ngizozibonakalisa kubantu abaningi. Kuyinto enkulu kimina. Ngisebenza kanzima ukuze abantu bezoshaya ihlombe babone ukuthi kukhona iWelterweight eqhamuka eNingizimu Afrika,” kusho uMbenge.
Khonamanjalo, uLerato “Lights Out” Dlamini uzolwela ibhande le-WBC Silver noDave Penalosa ngoJulayi 12 pheshaya kwezilwandle. Le mpi izobhulela amazolo ezoba phakathi kuka-Amir Khan wase-United Kingdom noNeeraj Goyat wase-India.