South Africa will be represented by 10 boxers – four women and six men – in the BRICS Games in Kazan, Russia from June 17-22.
The Secretary-General of South Africa National Boxing Organisation (SANABO) Liwa Mlokoti said the first batch of the team leaves on Saturday (June 15) and the second one will jet out on Sunday (June 16).
Missing in action will be Commonwealth Games bronze medallists, featherweight Phiwokuhle Mnguni and middleweight Simnikiwe Bongco. It’s not immediately known why they’ve been left out.
Prominent boxers going to Russia include last year’s gold medallists in the Africa Elite Championships in Yaounde, minimumweight Lubabalo Lusizi who has moved up to flyweight, lightweight Sanele Sogcwayi, bronze medallist in Yaounde, Thandolwethu Mathiba and Mandela Cup light-welterweight silver medallist and bronze medal winner in the African Games in Accra John Paul Masamba who is eager to make an impression in Russia after failing to make it to the final world Olympic Games qualifiers in Bangkok, Thailand.
In an interview with AFBC Communications, Masamba says he plans to excel to put behind the disappointment of missing the Bangkok Olympic qualifiers.
“Well since I did not get an opportunity to go to the two remaining World Olympic qualifiers, I’m just looking forward to compete and try new things,” said Masamba in a phone chat from Johannesburg.
“I want to compete and to put on a good show, something like a come-back for not being given a chance to qualify for the Olympics.
My Olympic dream remains intact.
Dreams delayed are not dreams denied. Some people don’t want to see a black person making it in life.”
BRICS is an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. This is a grouping of the world’s leading emerging market economies aiming to promote peace, security, development and cooperation.
Besides the BRICS member countries, almost 60 countries have been invited for the multi-sport event.
The Russia trip offers the South Africans a chance to redeem themselves after a dismal performance in the African Games in Accra where they placed 12th overall with one silver by Lubabalo Lusizi and a bronze by John Paul Masamba. The Accra disappointment was followed by another embarrassing show at home in the inaugural Mandela African Boxing Cup tournament in Durban in which they finished 14th with seven silver and four bronze medals.
The South Africa team for the BRICS tournament:
Women
Light-flyweight: Thandolwethu Mathiba
Flyweight: Ntandoyenkosi Ncube
Bantamweight: Cwenga Gqasana
Lightweight: Musa Rikhotso
Men
Flyweight: Lubabalo Lusizi
Lightweight: Sanele Sogcwayi
Light-welterweight: John Paul Masamba
Welterweight: Siphamandla Damesi
Light-middleweight: Vuyo Mnguni
Light-heavyweight: Lara Evans Netshindamboni
Coaches
Star 2 Hans Britz and Star 1 Hlonela Joxo
Team manager
Ms Michelle Rossouw
Credit: AFBC Communications
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