Duncan Village boxer Yanga Sigqibo revealed that he would continue with his boxing career despite a scare when he was rushed to hospital after his knockout loss to Ricardo Malajika at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg at the weekend.
A bubbly Sigqibo arrived in East London on Tuesday morning with his trainer Thembani Gopheni, dispelling perceptions that his boxing career was over.
Breaking his silence for the first time since the fight, Gopheni denied that Sigqibo collapsed in the anteroom after the fight, which led to him being rushed to hospital.
“Firstly, Yanga did not collapse in the anteroom or anywhere for that matter,” he said.
“On our way to the anteroom with Dr Solly Selepe [ringside doctor], he complained of a headache and Dr Selepe advised that he should go to hospital for precautionary tests.
“[Upon] our arrival at Arwyp Medical Hospital doctors ran some tests and cleared him.”
Gopheni denied reports that Sigqibo was diagnosed with bleeding on the brain, saying that by Saturday morning, the boxer was ready to be discharged from hospital.
“We only stayed longer due to hospital procedure which requires for all tests related to head injuries to be conducted,” he said.
Sigqibo has since been advised to lay off training for six months.
Gopheni said Sigqibo would undergo neurological tests, including an MRI scan, before he resumed training and his career.
“But reports about him suffering brain damage as have been circulating on social media are unfounded and Yanga is ready to continue with his boxing career.
“To prove it, we were not given any recovery procedure to follow nor any medication.”
It was Sigqibo’s first loss by a knockout, having suffered a previous points loss to WBO junior bantamweight champion Kosei Tanaka, who will defend his crown against Sigqibo’s homeboy Phumelela Cafu in Japan on October 14.
There were reports that the referee failed to warn Malajika not to hit the back of the head, which is cited as the major cause of head injuries.
However, Gopheni dismissed the claims, saying hitting the back of the head was part of boxing.
“I do not want to make excuses about being hit behind the head because we could have done it also,” he said.
“It was not Yanga’s day and I realised that in between rounds from round five.
“Malajika was just good on the night and we must congratulate him and not look for excuses.”
DispatchLIVE
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