AFTER being touched by the moving story about the dire conditions faced by a boxing club at Leaches Bay, leading Eastern Cape promoter Ayanda Matiti has decided to ease off the burden of the club by donating boxing equipment.
Matiti donated, among other items, punchbags, speed balls, skipping ropes and different sizes of boxing gloves to the United Youth Boxing Club which is the only boxing gymnasium in the sprawling township better known as Amagali Abomvu.
This follows a Daily Dispatch report which highlighted the struggle the club faces of luring youth away from the high levels of crime and prostitution by focusing on sport.
The club, which boasts SA female featherweight champion Asandiswa Nxokwana, is housed in a shack at the homestead of Pretty Boy Phethela.
But the shack is in a dilapidated condition making it impossible to train when it rains.
Phethela has been appealing to business people to build a gymnasium in the area to cater for all kinds of sport in order to motivate youth to take up sport instead of indulging in unsavoury activities.
“We have been appealing to big companies such as ELIDZ which is a stone’s throw away from us to no avail,” he said.
He was pleasantly surprised when Matiti took the initiative and donated the equipment to the club.
“We are so grateful to Matiti for his good gesture but also to the Dispatch for highlighting our plight,” said Phethela.
“We are hoping that this gymnasium can move from my yard and be a community entity so that everybody can have an attachment for it.”
Matiti downplayed the contribution he made to the club besides saying he was moved by the Dispatch report about the plight of the youth in the area.
“The donation is just a small token to help another club and help the youth to have a shot at realising their sporting potential,” he said.
“ I am inspired by the commitment of Pretty Boy to give up his home to accommodate youth and his efforts form part of the good stories we can tell of South Africa after 20 years of democracy.”
Matiti appealed to his fellow promoters to help the club and others in a similar situation as they play a crucial role in unearthing the boxing talent that has made the region the boxing mecca in the land.
“My fellow promoters as well as business people must help structures likes these because they add their punch in poverty alleviation as well as service delivery.”
Nxokwana is preparing for her title defence against Ntombozuko Nonina from Rustenburg at the Orient Theatre on May 31.
Speaking about the donation, the 20-year-old southpaw said she would go to the fight better prepared than she would have been because of Matiti’s good gesture.
“This cannot have come at a better time as I need all the help I can get to maximise my preparations for this crucial fight.
“Now I will have an added motivation to make sure that I retain my title thanks to Xaba (Matiti),” she said.
Matiti comes to the rescue
Matiti donated, among other items, punchbags, speed balls, skipping ropes and different sizes of boxing gloves to the United Youth Boxing Club which is the only boxing gymnasium in the sprawling township better known as Amagali Abomvu.
This follows a Daily Dispatch report which highlighted the struggle the club faces of luring youth away from the high levels of crime and prostitution by focusing on sport.
The club, which boasts SA female featherweight champion Asandiswa Nxokwana, is housed in a shack at the homestead of Pretty Boy Phethela.
But the shack is in a dilapidated condition making it impossible to train when it rains.
Phethela has been appealing to business people to build a gymnasium in the area to cater for all kinds of sport in order to motivate youth to take up sport instead of indulging in unsavoury activities.
“We have been appealing to big companies such as ELIDZ which is a stone’s throw away from us to no avail,” he said.
He was pleasantly surprised when Matiti took the initiative and donated the equipment to the club.
“We are so grateful to Matiti for his good gesture but also to the Dispatch for highlighting our plight,” said Phethela.
“We are hoping that this gymnasium can move from my yard and be a community entity so that everybody can have an attachment for it.”
Matiti downplayed the contribution he made to the club besides saying he was moved by the Dispatch report about the plight of the youth in the area.
“The donation is just a small token to help another club and help the youth to have a shot at realising their sporting potential,” he said.
“ I am inspired by the commitment of Pretty Boy to give up his home to accommodate youth and his efforts form part of the good stories we can tell of South Africa after 20 years of democracy.”
Matiti appealed to his fellow promoters to help the club and others in a similar situation as they play a crucial role in unearthing the boxing talent that has made the region the boxing mecca in the land.
“My fellow promoters as well as business people must help structures likes these because they add their punch in poverty alleviation as well as service delivery.”
Nxokwana is preparing for her title defence against Ntombozuko Nonina from Rustenburg at the Orient Theatre on May 31.
Speaking about the donation, the 20-year-old southpaw said she would go to the fight better prepared than she would have been because of Matiti’s good gesture.
“This cannot have come at a better time as I need all the help I can get to maximise my preparations for this crucial fight.
“Now I will have an added motivation to make sure that I retain my title thanks to Xaba (Matiti),” she said.
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