Linda Ximba
Igciwane le-Covid-19 liphinde lathatha omunye wabantu abadumile baseNingizimu Afrika besibhakela.
U-Andre Thysse, nowake waba ngumpetha wakuleli nowezizwe wabuye waba nguphromotha othembisayo, unqotshwe yigciwane eneminyaka engama-52 ngoLwesine ekuseni.
Ukushona kwakhe kuza ngemuva kwamasonto amabili iqembu lesibhakela lisathukile kulandela ukudlula emhlabeni kwalowo owayephethe isicoco se-IBF junior featherweight uLehlohonolo “Hands of Stone” Ledwaba.
ULedwaba naye ushone ngemuva kokuthola leli gciwane. NgoNhlolanja, uphromotha waKwaZulu-Natali uThulani Magudulela waba yisisulu sokuqala se-Covid-19.
Ngesikhathi esebenza kusukela ngowe-1999 kuya kowezi-2009, uThysse wathandwa kakhulu ngabathandi besibhakela ngesikhathi ethatha izicoco se-Gauteng nese-SA super middleweight.
Uphonse inselelo ngaphandle kwempumelelo kwisicoco se-International Boxing Organisation (i-IBO) i-super middleweight ebhekene noBrian Magee, i-World Boxing Council (i-WBC) superweightweight ebhekene noMarkus Beyer, i-WBC International superweightweight ebhekene noMikkel Kessler kanye ne-WBC Continental Americas super middleweight ebhekene noLucian Bute.
Ukunqoba kwakhe okwaduma kakhulu kwenzeka ngesikhathi ekhipha uDavid Starie esihlalweni sobukhosi esuka eNgilandi emcimbini we-Commonwealth ngesinqumo okuvunyelwane ngaso e-Carnival City e-Gauteng ngowezi-2003.
UThysse, owayephethe ibhizinisi lokungenisa amathoyizi, wazama ukukhuphuka ngaphansi kwe-Reel Steel. Ukusebenza kwakhe kanzima kwaba nezithelo ngesikhathi inkampani inqoba i-newcomer’s gong ku-Boxing SA Awards.
Emcimbini wabo wangowezi-2014, kwehle usizi ngesikhathi kushona umshayisibhakela wesifazane uPhindile Mwelase wase-KZN.
Ukukhuluma kwakhe ngokukhululekile kwamfaka enkingeni nebhodi elilawula isibhakela kodwa wakuthokozela ukwesekwa ngozakwabo. Wabekwa icala yi-Boxing SA ekuqaleni konyaka ngokwephula imithetho ye-Covid-19, leyo uThysse ayibuza esidlangalaleni‚ ethi wasiza umxhasi kuphela ukuthola umqhudelwano.
Omunye uphromotha uZandile Malinga we-Starline Boxing Promotions uncome uThysse ngokuzwakalisa ukukhathazeka kwabo. “Ubengumuntu obenemigomo futhi ubengachemi. Ungikhuthazile ukuthi ngiphakamise izinga lamaphromotha abesifazane futhi ubenobungani bokujabulela ukuhlala naye.”
UThysse ushiye umkakhe nezingane ezintathu, phakathi kwazo kubalwa uBrendon osengumpetha we-WBA Pan African kanye nowe-IBO All-Africa Super junior middleweight.
Umthombo wesithombe: I-African Ring