Only less than a month ago Zolile ‘Gqo’ Mahambi was spitting fire, accusing Boxing South Africa (BSA) Eastern Cape provincial manager Phakamile Jacobs of bullying him because he was just a ‘poor’ trainer.
The accusations followed after an exchange of words between the two boxing personalities just before Mahambi’s boxer Siseko Teyise fought against Lukhona Rorwana at the Orient Theatre in East London on Sunday, 1 October.
Mahambi believed that Teyise, who won by a fourth round stoppage, would have stopped his opponent earlier had he been in his corner. Because Mahambi wasn’t licensed by BSA at the time, someone else manned Teyise’s corner during the fight.
Now Mahambi is ecstatic after he received his BSA licence this week following weeks of waiting for the boxing regulator to license him.
“I’m relieved and happy to have received my licence. At least I will be able to help my boxers,” the veteran boxing trainer remarked.
Even though he’s happy to have been licensed by BSA, Mahambi has made it clear that age won’t allow him to go in and out of the ring in-between rounds.
“This is good. However, I won’t be going up and down the ring because of my knees. I’m old now. Only my assistant will man my boxers’ corner. I will be more like the bucket man. This is the decision that we have taken,” he said.
