The Sunday News
THE African Union Sports Council Region Five Under-20 Youth Games conclude today and with it the emergence of stars for the future.
Team Zimbabwe has had its fair share of success, winning gold medals in netball, athletics and boxing.
At the beginning there was hope that several Zimbabwean boxers would utilise home advantage to emerge triumphant at the Games. This was not to be.
It was only Trade Temba Nkomozabo who fought his way to the finals and bagged Zimbabwe’s only gold medal in boxing.
The other three boxers who took part in the finals had received byes as there were few pugilists in their weight categories.
Nkomozabo was impressive from the first bout, went on to show character throughout the duration of the fight. He charmed his way to victory largely through his antics in the ring that all but showed that he had a bright future ahead of him.
Stepping into the ring for the flyweight final against Botswana’s Kutlwano Ogaketse, Nkomozabo showed he was a man on a mission and did not waste time as he immediately took the fight to his opponent.
If Ogaketse thought he would have time to study his opponent, then he never got the chance as Nkomozabo delivered blow after blow leaving the Tswana confused and on the backburner.
The Triangle-based boxer said it was his intention to strike fear into Ogaketse and then beat him into submission and his trick worked as in the next two rounds the Botswana boxer was clueless as how to handle the rampaging Nkomozabo.
“I knew I had to strike fear into him from the first round so that he will not come back into the game in the final two rounds and for me it worked well. I am happy to win gold for Zimbabwe and I intend building on my success and want to represent the country in other future events,” said the 18-year-old boxer.
Zimbabwe has had its fair share of success in boxing with boxers such as Thamsanqa Dube, Arigoma Chiponda, Alfonso Zvenyika, Proud “Kilimanjaro” Chinembiri, World Boxing Council (WBC) international welterweight champion Charles Manyuchi and former middleweight champion, Mordecai Donga all having had a taste of national and regional success, and the young pugilist could follow in their footsteps
Nkomozabo started boxing at the tender age of six years, when his father, Temba Nkomozabo took him along for boxing training sessions in Triangle.
The training continued until he got into the ring when he was aged 10 and he has never looked back ever since.
Trade attributed his success to the early mentorship he received from his father, and later to hard work by his boxing coaches in Team Zimbabwe.
This was not the boxer’s first taste of success as he has dominated the National Youth Games winning gold in the past three editions in Gwanda, Bulawayo and Masvingo.
Trade said his father, Temba, was instrumental at his recent success, and was giving him tips at every stage of the Games.
While he harboured hopes of turning professional in the near future, Trade said he would first seek sponsorship as lack of financial support could end his career prematurely.
“Boxing is my life and would want to be involved in the sport for a long time but to turn professional; I would need financial support so that I am not disadvantaged,’’ he said.
Temba Nkomozabo senior said the whole of Triangle had come to a standstill as they celebrated Trade’s success and are eager to welcome the boy home and celebrate his success.
“We all can’t wait for the Games to end so that he can come home and we celebrate his achievement, people here are excited about the win and it is unfortunate we only watched the match as a delayed programme on ZTV. We would have loved to see it live,” he said.
Temba, who works at Triangle Sugar Estates, confirmed that he used to take Trade to training sessions against his wife’s wishes but she was now happy the boy was doing well.
He said Trade showed signs of brilliance at an early age hence he used to fight with boxers older than him.
Temba senior, a former professional boxer who has turned coach, said he intends seeing his son turn professional, adding that his 15 year old daughter Synairence was also into boxing and would get into the ring next year.
