Duncan Village’s AG to wield power at world champs

Duncan Village boxing trainer Mzamo “Chief” Njekanye’s uncanny knack for being able to spot talent is unrivalled, having unearthed a slew of gems in the township including Azinga Fuzile.

But he may have outdone himself with his latest find.

The unsung hero with a penchant for dipping his hands into the darkest corners of the shack-littered area, fished out another gem in Amila Gongqa, a lightweight boxer who is already setting tongues wagging in the amateur ranks.

The 16-year-old’s talent has earned him a spot on the SA team to compete at the Youth World Championships starting on Wednesday next week in Montenegro.

Gongqa is one of five boxers which includes two women, Nokwanda Mbatha and Amanda Mjiyakho, both from KwaZulu-Natal, Oyisa Wanga, from the Eastern Cape, and Limpopo’s Blessings Zinyana.

SA National Amateur Boxing Organisation (Sanabo) secretary Liwa Njokweni Mlokoti said the team was selected after provinces were asked to forward names to the national amateur body.

“We are hoping the experience these youngsters will gain at the event puts them in good stead in cementing their spot in the team,” he said.

For Njekanye, the selection of Gongqa was automatic after his reign of terror in the junior ranks where he has ruthlessly knocked out opponents.

The grade 11 Ebenezer High pupil displayed his crippling power by reeling off knockout victories when he was slotted into the provincial Youth Championships despite being a junior.

“Because of his age, he was forced to return to the juniors as age is a prerequisite for promotion to another level in the amateur ranks,” he said.

“When he turned 16, he was drafted into the youth team and I have no doubt that he will bring back the medal from the world championships.”

Njekanye knows talent when he sees it having produced a slew of boxers such as Xolisani “Nomeva” Ndongeni who operates on the world stage, having won an IBO lightweight trinket in addition to his two SA titles haul.

However, Fuzile remains Njekanye’s biggest find, with the left-hander plucked from obscurity when he was eight years old.

He was  turned into a world title contender who went all the way to fight at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York where he came short against Japanese Kenichi Ogawa in an IBF junior-lightweight title clash.

Fuzile, who won the SA featherweight title in only his fifth bout, inspired others to use boxing as a means to shape a better life and escape unsavoury ghetto challenges.

This attracted youngsters including 18-year-old Njekanye product, Lwando Mgabi, who recently won the SA junior-bantamweight title after relocating to Cape Town to join Njekanye’s Duncan Village Boxing Academy, popularly known as the Million Dollar Boxing Club.

Now 22, Mgabi attributes his boxing success to Njekanye.

While all have their colourful testimonials, Njekanye feels Gongqa is cut from a different cloth due to his ability to win his fights by knockouts, a rare feat in the amateur ranks.

Gongqa’s exploits have made Njekanye coin him AG, as he feels the moniker depicts the clout often associated with the auditor-general job.

“He and auditor-general share the same acronyms and wield similar power in their respective fields,” he said.

“Government and corporate sectors all jump around when the AG is visiting.

“Opponents also run scared when they are to fight Gongqa.”

The SA team is scheduled to leave on Saturday for the games to be held in Budva, Montenegro, from October 23 to November 5.

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