By Monwabisi Jimlongo
With Cape Town-based boxer Lunga ‘Pressure Cooker’ Sitemela having relinquished the South African junior-lightweight title, Asanda ‘Dynamite’ Gingqi now relishes the thought of becoming a two-time South African champion.
Gingqi, who is rated number one in South Africa, is poised to get a chance to fight for the vacant SA junior-lightweight title now that Sitemela has vacated the crown after he won the World Boxing Federation (WBF) diadem last Friday.
Dordrecht-born Sitemela dethroned Steve Bagwasi at the Grand Palm Hotel and Casino Convention Centre in Gaborone, Botswana, on Friday evening. Bagwasi dislocated his left shoulder and as a result of that, Sitemela won the fight by a third round technical knockout.
“I was even prepared to fight against Sitemela when he was still the South African champion. Boxing is about competition. I’m not afraid of competing against other boxers,” Gingqi said.
The 29-year-old Gingqi from Mdantsane defeated former SA junior-lightweight titlist Sibusiso Zingange by a seventh round stoppage in his last fight in March. Zingange dislocated his shoulder something which ended the fight giving Gingqi victory.
“I have been training with the view of challenging for the SA title. This is my chance to become a South African champion again. I didn’t rest after my fight against Zingange. I went back to the gym and started preparing for my next fight. Hearing that the title is vacant has given me more hope that I will fight for and win it,” Gingqi remarked.
Gingqi, a former SA featherweight champion, lost his national title to Jeff Magagane last September, just a year after he had won it during a fight against Capetonian Abdul-Aziz Kunert.
