FINALLY, aspiring local fighter Trevor Ngonyama will get a chance to put his fistic craft on display.
This when he trades leather with another debutant, Siphamandla Ngubane, at Umfolozi Hotel, Casino and Convention Resort in Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal.
Ngonyama (25) from Kagiso, on the West Rand, turned professional last year and has been itching for action.
He was pencilled to participate in four tournaments, but all of them were cancelled.
And now an opportunity has finally knocked.
The inexperienced fighter says he’s over the moon to get a chance to fight as a professional boxer.
“I’m excited and anxious at the same time,” he said.
“Coming from amateur ranks where we compete almost every week, but when you get to paying ranks, it’s a different ball game.
“I was expecting to fight at least three times a year. Anyway, I’m happy to get this opportunity,” he said.
Ngonyama’s story is not an isolated one as most young boxers who came from unpaid ranks get to starve when they get to top-flight boxing.
Lack of fight opportunities is an everyday struggle for aspiring fighters.
The so-called big boxing promoters work with certain trainers, so if a trainer falls out of that bracket, the boxers won’t get action.
The Boxing South Africa 2017 Matchmaker of the Year, Luyanda “Lee” Kana, expressed grave concern over limited options available to young local fighters. He said the scarcity of fights to young local fighters was a big challenge that needed serious attention.
“Many boxers, who come from amateur ranks, struggle to get fights when they turn pro and that discourages others from choosing boxing as their favourite sport,” said Kana.
The mastermind of matchmaking has urged boxing promoters to stage more development tournaments and all the up-and-coming boxers a chance.
“Our promoters tend to work with certain trainers who have fighters contracted to them,” Kana said.
He also suggested all the stakeholders to put their heads together and find a way to bring more sponsorship on board.
“Our promoters rely only on government grants for staging tournaments, but they must also engage the corporate world,” Kana concluded.
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