dyton mupawaenda
Langton Nyakwenda-Zimpapers Sports Hub
A DOZEN years ago, he was a budding footballer in the sugar-producing town of Triangle in Masvingo Province.
Tinashe Majoni was a flying winger at Mufakose High School in the Lowveld and looked destined for a prosperous career in football.
That was until he was exposed to boxing by a classmate, who was also his teammate in the football team.
Majoni’s destiny was changed by a simple invitation.
“My friend, Shepherd Majama, invited me to watch him train boxing.
“That’s how I fell in love with the sport,’’ Majoni says.
“That’s when I started liking boxing and I started training with him and surprisingly I was getting it quickly so, he motivated me to keep training.
“Then I became better day by day until I realised that I was actually better in boxing than soccer. I then became a full-time boxer and started causing problems to boxing champions at school level.”
After a couple of amateur fights, Majoni then turned pro in 2019.
From a midfielder-cum winger, the boy who dazzled on the pitch at Mufakose High school had transformed overnight into a star boxer.
Now Majoni is an international champion. The 26-year-old Majoni claimed the vacant World Boxing Federation Super Flyweight All Africa belt at 7 Arts Theatre in Avondale, Harare last weekend.
He knocked out Aubrey Masamba of Malawi in the third round.
Majoni could not contain his emotions soon after the bout, as he cried throughout the post-match interview.
Eventually, he used the remainder of the weekend to calm down and yesterday he spoke to Zimpapers Sports Hub.
“I’m so happy about this great achievement. I give thanks to everyone who has been behind me.
“I could not have achieved such a thing alone. I am now looking forward to more opportunities like this. I believe this is the beginning of more greatness,’’ Majoni said.
He fights from Otto Boxing Club, under veteran trainer, Ali “Otto” Phiri.
Phiri also trained former World Boxing Council Silver welterweight champion, Charles Manyuchi.
He is the power behind former African Boxing Union Lightweight champion Aliyah Phiri and Hassan Milanzi, who defended his WBF Super Bantamweight title last weekend.
Majoni met Ali Phiri in 2017, when he was still fighting under the Charles Manyuchi Boxing Academy.
He then moved to join Otto Boxing Club.
“I have remained with Otto Boxing Club since then and it’s paying off,” said Majoni, who was born in Zvishavane but went to school in Triangle.
The victory against Masamba also pushed his record to 11-1-0.
According to his handlers, Majoni will now defend his WBF Super Flyweight title in August.
Milanzi will also defend his WBF Super Bantamweight belt at the same event while former ABU lightweight champion Aliyah Phiri will get another test fight.
Aliyah Phiri is fresh from serving a one-year doping suspension.
He won a non-title fight against Mbaraka Mtangembunda on the same boxing night last weekend.
Otto Boxing Club was the biggest winner last weekend as Super Bantamweight boxer Milanzi was also crowned the Best Male boxer of 2024 at the Annual National Sports Awards ceremony in the capital on Sunday night.
Top female promoter, Lindsay Earle, who also hails from the same stable, was crowned the Best Promoter.
“We are happy as a team to achieve all this,” said Ali Phiri.
“This motivates us to keep pushing on and produce more champions”.
Otto Boxing Stable have two tournaments lined up later this year, in August and December.
“We are looking at putting up a World Boxing Council Africa title for Aliyah Phiri in December.
“But he has to fight another test bout in August,” said Ali Phiri.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter