Kuhlonishwa ingqwele yesibhakela uGerrie Coetzee 

Libhalwe nguLucky Maree

Kumthathe iminyaka kodwa indoda eyayisebenza ngaphansi kwesiteketiso esiyinhlamba esithi “Seer Handjies” (okusho ukuthi izandla ezincane ezibuhlungu) izibonakalise njengendoda eqotho nedumile esibhakeleni.

Leli gama elibi eliyisiteketiso alinikwa umshayisibhakela uKallie Knoetze laqhamuka ngemuva kokuthi uCoetzee alimale isandla sokudla. UCoetzee wayaziwa nangokuthi “uyi-Bionic Hand” ngemuva kokuhlinzwa.

UCoetzee wazalelwa eGoli, e-East Rand e-Boksburg, futhi kwakubikezelwa ukuthi waqanjwa ngokuthi unguBoksburg Bomber.

Njengabantu abaningi esibhakeleni, uCoetzee wayemelene kakhulu nobandlululo. Izimpi zokuqala zezicoco zakuleli ezixube izinhlanga zabanjelwa enkundleni yezemidlalo i-Rand, eGoli ngomhlaka-27 kuLwezi ngo-1976 lapho uCoetzee ahlula khona uJames Mathatho emzuliswaneni wesikhombisa empini yosondonzima ye-South African Championship.

UCoetzee wasebenza njengochwepheshe wamazinyo futhi nangemuva kokuba umpetha womhlaba wosondonzima wanqaba ngokuqinile ukuba “isihlabani” ngokungafani nembangi yakhe ezikhukhumezayo nengenathalente uKallie Knoetze.

UKnoetze wayedume ngelika “The Mouth” ngenxa yokuthi ubengayeki ukuncokola nokuthuka hhayi abanye abashayisibhakela kuphela kodwa nabanye abantu. UGerrie akakaze acasuke ngokwanele ukuthi aphendule amagama amabi ayevame ukukhulunywa uKnoetze.

Nakuba wayengumsebenzi ozikhandlayo nohloniphayo owayekuthathela phezulu ukuqeqeshwa kwakhe wayehlezi ebonakala emangele ngempumelelo yakhe.

Wayengeyena umuntu okhuluma kahle futhi abantu babevame ukuhlekisa ngezwi lakhe elithambile neliphakeme kancane.

Kuze kwaba kamuva lapho aqashelwa khona njengomuntu onesithunzi nangendlela angakaze azivikele ngayo kunoma yikuphi okwakushiwo ngabezindaba ngaye.

Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa ngemuva kokuthi uCoetzee ahlule uMichael Dokes ngoMandulo ngo-1983 ukuze awine isicoco se-WBA, uCoetzee wahlinzwa ezandleni okwase kunesikhathi eside zimhlupha. Umsebenzi wakhe waqala ukwehla kusukela lapho. Wahlulwa uGreg Page ngoZibandlela ngo-1984 empini yokuvikela isicoco sakhe.

UGerrie ubehlezi eyindoda ezinikele emndenini wayo ejabulela ukuchitha isikhathi nomkakhe kanye nomndeni wakhe.

Esithombeni esingenhla: UGerrie Coetzee nonkosikazi wakhe uRina kanye nowayengunkosikazi kaMuhammad Ali,uKhalilah Camacho-Ali 

Umthombo wesithombe:  Droeks Malan

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