Online Reporter
Nkosilathi Sibanda
INJABULO ibibhaliwe ebusweni babafundi beGwanda High School ngesikhathi intshantshu ye-International Boxing Federation (IBF) ku-welterweight, u-Ezekiel “Kell” Brook, esethekelela lesi isikolo
UBrook (40), odabuka eNgilandi, ubeseGwanda ngoMvulo kuhambo lokuyabona inhlelo zomdlalo we-boxing esabelweni seMatabeleland South. Ufike kuleli ngoMgqibelo njalo uzavakatshela inkundla zomdlalo eMasvingo laseHarare.
Wadlala i-boxing kusukela ngo-2002 kusiya ku-2024. Wabamba isicoco se-IBF welterweight phakathi kuka-2014 lo-2017. Isikolo seGwanda High saziwa kakhulu ngokulolonga abafundi kumdlalo we-boxing, asebephenduke intshantshu zokutshaya ingqindi elizweni.
Ukuvakatsha kwakhe kube ngumthombo wokukhuthaza lokuqinisekisa umsebenzi omuhle owenziwa yisikolo seGwanda High esesiphumelele kakhulu kwezemidlalo ezikolo zeMatabeleland South.
Kubafundi abanengi, ukuhlangana lomdlali owancintisana, waphumelela ezingeni lomhlaba wonke kwenze amaphupho abo abonakala. UBrook ukhuthaze abasakhulayo ukuthi bahlale belesimilo esihle, basebenze gadalala njalo bakholwe emandleni abo kungelani lokuthi bavela ngaphi.
Ukuvakatsha kwakhe kuphinde kwatshengisa ukukhula kokuthandwa komdlalo eGwanda, lapho umdlalo lo osulandelwa kakhulu ngabantu abatsha.
Umphathisikolo weGwanda High School, u-Arthur Maphosa, uthe ukufika kukaBrook kube yinkuthazo enkulu kubafundi njalo kuyisibonakaliso sokuthi umsebenzi wesikolo wokuthuthukisa ithalenta usunanzelelwa langaphandle kwemingcele yeZimbabwe.
“Sizizwe sihlonitshiwe eGwanda High School, ikakhulu iklabhu yethu ye-boxing, ngokuvakatshelwa ngumuntu omkhulu emdlalweni uKell Brook. Bekulusuku olukhulu kakhulu njalo abantwana bakujabulele lokhu,” kutsho uMaphosa.
“I-boxing ngumdlalo omkhulu lapha eGwanda njalo sizama ngamandla ethu wonke ukunika abatsha ikusasa abalikholelwayo. Iklabhu yethu yasungulwa ngemva kwamaNational Youth Games ayeqhutshelwe eGwanda ngo-2003. Kasizange sibuyele emuva.”
Isikolo lesi sesilolonge abadlali abanengi asebephumelele, okugoqela uMonica Mnkandla, ongomunye wabesifazane asebezuze impumelelo enkulu emdlalweni. UMnkandla wanqoba izicoco ezinengi zelizwe, wamela iZimbabwe emincintiswaneni yamazwe, waba ngomunye wabavulele indlela abesifazane kwezomdlalo we-boxing elizweni.
Abanye abaphume kuleliklabhu bagoqela uSydney Baloyi, owanqoba isicoco segolide kumaYouth Games, uClaudius Mpofu loFarai Makombe.
UMaphosa uthe abafundi bathathekiswe kakhulu yindaba kaBrook yokuzimisela, ukusebenza gadalala lokuphumelela.
“Kuthe sebezwile ngembali kaKell Brook bamangele. Bazizwe behlonitshiwe ukuthi umuntu olesithunzi lodumo angavakatshela isikolo sabo,” kutsho uMaphosa.
Uthe uBrook uthembise ukuncedisa isikolo ngempahla yokuthuthukisa ijimu.
“Sikhangelele ukwakha ubudlelwano obuqinileyo labanye abakumdlalo we-boxing. Yikho okudingakalayo ukuze abantwana bethu bafeze amaphupho abo.”
