A six-year promise by Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula to build a state-of-the-art gymnasium in Mdantsane for female boxing golden girl Noni Tenge is finally coming to fruition.
This was revealed by Mbalula after he made yet another promise to build a gymnasium for hot Duncan Village prospect Azinga Fuzile.
There were cynicism in certain boxing quarters when Mbalula made the promise to Fuzile when Tenge’s gym construction is still outstanding.
However by yesterday already a team commissioned by Boxing SA to document Fuzile and his rundown gymnasium in Duncan Village arrived in the city.
Mbalula shot down suggestions that he was making empty promises to local boxing community arguing that it was not his fault Tenge’s gymnasium has not been built as yet. He insisted that funding for the gymnasium was arranged a long time ago but the building that houses Sisonke Boxing Club which was to be upgraded is being claimed by someone else.
“Just when plans were afoot to start construction someone came up to claim ownership of the building,” he said.
“If I am not mistaken there were claims of about R800000 and I felt we could not pay such amount to enrich someone else when the money raised was for Noni’s gymnasium.”
Mbalula, who solicited sponsorship deals including a brand new car for Tenge, said he had instructed Tenge to find another vacant land on which to build the gym.
Tenge confirmed that the building in which Sisonke is based belongs to someone else.
“Yes the wife of the late owner came forward and produced a title deed for the building so we could not continue with the construction,” she said.
Tenge, who beat nemesis Esther Mashiya in a non-title fight in Port Elizabeth last weekend, said she had already identified a vacant land on a disused sports field at NU10 Mdantsane to build the gymnasium.
“Luckily, this land is under-utilised or let me say it is used for unsavoury activities because it is across a tavern so at least for now it will be put to good use.”
Already Buffalo City Metro has been contacted to hand over the land so that construction can begin as soon as possible.
Asked if it was rather too late now to build her gymnasium when she is already winding down her career, Tenge said the facility would not die with her retirement from the sport.
She will continue training and unearthing other talent in the township including female boxers, who she claims are neglected by other boxing clubs.
“There is an abundance of talent in the township and this gymnasium will make it its priority to unearth this talent,” she said.
Tenge is still chasing for a shot at universally recognised best female boxer pound-for-pound Cecilia Braekhus who ironically was also in action last weekend when he retained her IBO, WBA, WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO welterweight titles against Swede Klara Svensson in Oslo, Norway.
Mbalula lifts lid on Tenge gym
This was revealed by Mbalula after he made yet another promise to build a gymnasium for hot Duncan Village prospect Azinga Fuzile.
There were cynicism in certain boxing quarters when Mbalula made the promise to Fuzile when Tenge’s gym construction is still outstanding.
However by yesterday already a team commissioned by Boxing SA to document Fuzile and his rundown gymnasium in Duncan Village arrived in the city.
Mbalula shot down suggestions that he was making empty promises to local boxing community arguing that it was not his fault Tenge’s gymnasium has not been built as yet. He insisted that funding for the gymnasium was arranged a long time ago but the building that houses Sisonke Boxing Club which was to be upgraded is being claimed by someone else.
“Just when plans were afoot to start construction someone came up to claim ownership of the building,” he said.
“If I am not mistaken there were claims of about R800000 and I felt we could not pay such amount to enrich someone else when the money raised was for Noni’s gymnasium.”
Mbalula, who solicited sponsorship deals including a brand new car for Tenge, said he had instructed Tenge to find another vacant land on which to build the gym.
Tenge confirmed that the building in which Sisonke is based belongs to someone else.
“Yes the wife of the late owner came forward and produced a title deed for the building so we could not continue with the construction,” she said.
Tenge, who beat nemesis Esther Mashiya in a non-title fight in Port Elizabeth last weekend, said she had already identified a vacant land on a disused sports field at NU10 Mdantsane to build the gymnasium.
“Luckily, this land is under-utilised or let me say it is used for unsavoury activities because it is across a tavern so at least for now it will be put to good use.”
Already Buffalo City Metro has been contacted to hand over the land so that construction can begin as soon as possible.
Asked if it was rather too late now to build her gymnasium when she is already winding down her career, Tenge said the facility would not die with her retirement from the sport.
She will continue training and unearthing other talent in the township including female boxers, who she claims are neglected by other boxing clubs.
“There is an abundance of talent in the township and this gymnasium will make it its priority to unearth this talent,” she said.
Tenge is still chasing for a shot at universally recognised best female boxer pound-for-pound Cecilia Braekhus who ironically was also in action last weekend when he retained her IBO, WBA, WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO welterweight titles against Swede Klara Svensson in Oslo, Norway.
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