Linda Ximba
UZolani “Last Born” Tete uzitholele isicoco se-IBF junior-featherweight ngemuva kokunqoba kungazelele muntu ngomgqibelo ebusuku.
UTete oyinxele uthuse abantu ngesikhathi eqeda ngomzuliswano wesine ehlula umpetha we-Commonwealth, i-WBO International kanye ne-IBF international junior featherweight uJason Cunningham enkundleni i-Wembley e-England.
Yize engakaze adlale iminyaka emibili ngenxa ye-Covid-19 futhi neminyaka yakhe ikhula, lo mshayisibhakela odabuka e-Eastern Cape ushiye abalandeli bethuthumele ngokubuya kwakhe.
Lo bekuwumdlalo oncomekayo kaTete owalahlekelwa isicoco sakhe se-WBO sebhande le-World Bantamweight ebhekene noJohn Casimero wase-Philippines ngonyaka ka-2019, ukulahlekelwa abaningi ababekubikezela njengokuthi kuzoba ukuphela komsebenzi wakhe.
Ukuwina kukaTete kumenze wakwazi ukubhekana noMurodjon Akhmadaliev wase-Uzbekistan ophethe isicoco se-IBF junior-featherweight.
UTete oneminyaka engu-34 wamukelwe njengeqhawe esikhumulweni sezindiza i-OR Tambo International Airport ngoMsombuluko ntambama kulandela ukunqoba kwakhe e-Europe. Isibhakela sakuleli saseNingizimu Afrika nezikhulu zoMnyango wezemidlalo kuzwelonke zimamukele ekhaya.
“Ngokunqoba kwakhe uZolani uphinde wakhombisa ukuqina osekuphenduke into esemqoka empilweni yakhe,” kusho uNgqongqoshe wezeMidlalo, ubuCiko namaSiko uNathi Mthethwa.
“Kudingeke ukuthi agudluze izithiyo zakhe ukuze aphinde abe semgqeni wokulwela esinye isicoco somhlaba. Lokhu kuletha injabulo ezweni elilulama emiphumeleni yobhubhane olubhubhisayo.”
UTete uthe ubedlala lomdlalo ngoba efisa ukujabulisa umawakhe uNomonde ongasekho.
Uthe uzosebenza kanzima ekuqinisekiseni ukuthi uyasithatha futhi isicoco se-IBF ebesiphethwe ngabakubo uWelcome “The Hawk” Ncita kwalandela uVuyani “The Beast” Bungu sagcina kuLehlohonolo “Hands of Stone” Ledwaba.
Uphromotha wase-UK uFrank Warren kuthiwa usebenza kanzima ukuhlanganisa uTete nowake waphatha isicoco se-WBF flyweight, i-IBF junior-bantamweight nophethe i-WBO bantamweight u-Akhmadaliev.
UTete, onerekhodi eselinyuke lafinyelela ku-40 enqoba imidlalo engu-23 wahlulwa kwemine ube ngumshayisibhakela weshumi nambili wakuleli ukunqoba ibhande le-Commonwealth.