Umshayisibhakela ushiya amankomane

Lubhalwe nguLinda Ximba

UNkululeko “The Bulldog” Mhlongo usenqume ukuhoxa kwisibhakela esikhokhelwayo ngemuva kokulwa iminyaka engu-19.

Lo mshayisibhakela odabuka e-KZN kodwa ozinze e-Gauteng futhi osewine ibhande le-WBF kabili kuleli, uhlale phansi nomndeni wakhe nophromotha osenesikhathi eside esebenzisana naye uLebo Mahoko we-Dream Team Promotions, wathatha isinqumo sokuthatha umhlalaphansi kulo mdlalo. 

Impi kaMhlongo yokugcina yayingoMbasa ngesikhathi ehlulwa kwisicoco se-SA middleweight eshaywa nguJohn Bopape e-Mangaung, e-Bloemfontein.

Isandla sikaBopape silahle uMhlongo ngomzuliswano ka-11, nokuholele ekutheni athathe umhlalaphansi.

Uthando lwaMhlongo lwesibhakela lumenze wanqoba isicoco sakuleli esigabeni se-junior middleweight. Wengeze nge-WBF Intercontinental ne-WBA Pan African esigabeni esifanayo.

Emsebenzini wakhe omude, ulwe nabadlali abesabekayo abafana no-Isaac Hlatshwayo, uPage Tshesane, uSikhulule Sidzumo, uBrandon Thysse no-Emmany Kalombo.

“Sengiqedile ngesibhakela. Umzimba wami nekhanda lami kubuthwalile ubunzima kodwa ngiyajabula ukuthi iminyaka eminingi ngizwe ubuhlungu nabanye,” kusho uMhlongo oshiya lo mdlalo enezinkumbulo ezimnandi.

“Lo mdlalo ungenze ngakwazi ukuthengela umndeni wami umuzi futhi ngahamba umhlaba wonke ngikhombisa ithalente lami.”

Uthe uzizwe sengathi ubengakaqedi emazweni afana ne-Russia, i-Kazakhstan, i-Germany kanye ne-Brazil.

Lo mdlali oneminyaka engu-44 ubudala uthe ubengeke ahlulwe kulo mdlalo.

“Ngifuna ukusebenzisa ulwazi lwami olunzulu ukuze ngikhulise ompetha abasazofika.”

Abathandi besibhakela bazomkhumbula uMhlongo ngendlela eyingqayizivele yokulwa ngesandla esisodwa efihle esinye ngemuva okuyinto ayenza uma ebona ukuthi uzonqoba kalula.

Uphromotha kaMhlongo, uLebo Mahoko uncome umgadli wakhe ngokuzinikela nangegalelo lakhe kulo mdlalo.

“Kusiphathe kabi ukumbona ehamba, kodwa sibonga into ayenzile esibhakeleni. Uyohlale eyingxenye yomndeni wethu futhi simfisela konke okuhle emizamweni yakhe ezayo,” kusho uMahoko.

Abasesithombeni esingenhla: UNkululeko Mhlongo nophromotha uLebo Mahoko

Umthombo wesithombe: UNick Lourens

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