Boxer’s demise in ring opened another door in sport

The date was August 23 2014 and former South African two-division boxing champion Sikhulule Sidzumo was taking a beating from Nkululeko Mhlongo during a tournament at the Bhisho Stadium near Qonce. As calls grew louder for the fight to be stopped, attention shifted to a pregnant woman crying uncontrollably at ringside before ring official Siya “Vabaza” Booi stepped in to console her. That night marked the end of Sidzumo’s boxing career.

But it also marked the beginning of something else. The pregnant woman was Fezeka Mnyamana, who would later become Sidzumo’s wife and partner in building one of Mdantsane’s rising boxing clubs — Young Assassins. Today the couple have been nominated for this year’sDaily Dispatch Local Heroes Awardsfor their work in mentoring and developing young boxers in the NU5 area of Mdantsane.

Rather than walking away from boxing after his defeat, Sidzumo chose to pass on his knowledge to children in the township. “As someone with a first aid qualification, I used to be heavily involved in those tournaments,” she said. “My interest developed further during Mzolisi Yoyo’s SA title reign, so I used to go to his fights to cheer for him.” Ironically, it was Yoyo’s rivalry with Sidzumo that eventually brought the couple together. When Yoyo split two fights against Sidzumo, Mnyamana found herself drawn to the boxer she had initially not supported.