USiphamandla ‘Toytoy’ Baleni ukholelwa kwelokokuba umntu okhethe yena ukuba alwe nommi waseZimbabwe uBeaven Sibanda, ongekabethwa, ngoJuni wenze impazamo enkulu.
Lenjinga yoMzantsi Afrika yamhlamnene, ezakulwa noSibanda kwimijikelo esibhozo e-Emperor’s Palace, eKempton Park, ngoMgqibelo umhla weshumi elinesihlanu kuJuni, igxininisile ukuba abathelekisi bazakuzisola ngokumlwisa nalommi waseZimbabwe.
“Bathabathe isigqibi esingesiso ngokukhetha mna ukuba ndilwe noSibanda. Ndiyayazi bacinga ukuba ndizakuba yinyama yedada. Bajonge impumelelo elula,” utshilo uBaleni.
UBaleni, oqeqeshwa yintshatsheli yamhlamnene kudidi lwempukane uNcedo Cecane, wongeze ngelithi: “Ndizakubothusa. Kulungile njengokuba ndimnika ithuba lokulwa nam. Ndizakumbetha ndimwise.”
UBaleni, owayeyintshatsheli yoMzantsi Afrika kudidi lweminimumweight nolwejunior-flyweight, wagqibela ukulwa eMzantsi Afrika ngethuba ebetha uMzamo Makhipheni e-Orient Theatre, eMonti, ngoDisemba 2022.
Lenzalelwane yaseMthatha, ebekwa kwindawo yeshumi elinesine kwiWorld Boxing Council (WBC), yabethwa nguHasanboy Dusmatov wase-Uzbekistan kumlo owawukwelaseRussia ngoNovemba kulonyaka ophelileyo. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
