Linda Ximba
UBongani “Wonderboy” Mahlangu uqophe umlando ngesikhathi ewina isicoco se-IBF All Africa nese-South African junior featherweight eneminyaka engu-42.
Lo mpetha ozinze eGoli uziwine zombili lezi zicoco, kanti lokho kumenze waba umphetha omdala kunabo bonke ukwenza lokho kuleli.
Kodwa akafuni kugcine lapha. UMahlangu ufunge wagomela ukuthi uzoqhubeka nokudlala isibhakela aze ahlanganise iminyaka engu-50.
Uqede ubukhosi buka-Ayabonga Sonjica ngesikhathi emhlula emzuliswaneni wesikhombisa e-Orient Theatre e-East London ngempelasonto.
UMahlangu wabelane ngezimfihlo zakhe ne-Scrolla.Africa mayelana nokuthi uqhubeka kanjani nokuphikisana nezingqinamba.
“Sengidlale isibhakela iminyaka engu-38 kusukela ebusheni bami ngaze ngaba sezingeni eliphezulu. Iqhawe lami nguBernard Hopkins owadlala isibhakela waze waba neminyaka engu-50,” kusho uMahlangu okhulumela phansi.
UHopkins owazalelwa eMelika waba ngumshayisibhakela kusukela ngo-1988 kwaze kwaba ngo-2016.
Ungomunye wabashayisibhakela abaphumelele kakhulu eminyakeni engamashumi amathathu edlule, uncintisane imiqhudelwano eminingi yomhlaba ngamakilasi amabili esisindo, okuhlanganisa nesicoco se-middleweight kusukela ngo-2001 kuya ku-2005 kanye nesicoco se-lineal junior heavyweight kusuka ngo-2011 kuya ku-2012.
Ikhono likaMahlangu limenze wangena eqenjini lakuleli elancintisana kuma-Olympics e-Athens, e-Greece ngo-2004 kanye nakuma-Commonwealth Games e-Melbourne, e-Australia ngo-2006.
Uphinde waya kuma-All Africa Games ngo-2003 e-Nigeria.
Kuwo wonke umzabalazo oba ngaphakathi eringini, uMahlangu ukwazile ukuwina izicoco ze-WBA Pan African i-Intercontinental bantamweight, i-WBO International kanye nese-IBF International junior featherweight.
Unikeze izeluleko kubantu abasha abasafufusa abafuna ukuziphilisa ngesibhakela.
“Engingakusho ukuthi okungisize isikhathi eside kulo mdlalo ukuthi ngiphila impilo ehlanzekile. Angibuphuzi utshwala futhi angibhemi ngoba ngibone leyo mikhuba iqeda umsebenzi wabashayisibhakela abaningi,” kusho umpetha ozakhele udumo.
UMahlangu, odlala i-southpaw, uzishaya isifuba ngerekhodi lokuwina amahlandla angu-23 ukuhlulwa amahlandla angu-11 emncintiswaneni engu-31.
Uqeqeshwa umfowabo omncane uSandile esikoleni sakhe i-Wonderboy Boxing Academy e-Vaal eGoli.