Umthelekisi wamanqindi eNamibia uNestor Tobias ukhumbula umhlobo wakhe, injinga yamhlamnene ehlabathini uDingaan ‘The Rose of Soweto’ Thobela, osweleke eneminyaka engamashumi amahlanu anesixhenxe.
UThobela, owazalelwa eSoweto, ufunyenwe ebanda kwiflat ebehlala kuyo eLanglaagte, eRhawutini, ngoMvulo. Kubonakele ngathi bekusele kuntsuku emnabele uqaqaqa.
“Ziindaba ezibuhlungu ezi. UDingaan ndimaze ixesha elide, kwaye ebefana nomntakwethu. Besitsalelana umnxeba, sincokole ixesha elide emnxebeni,” utshilo uTobias.
“Wayelapha eNamibia ngethuba ndivula iziko lokuqeqesha iimbethi-manqindi. Ubenempembelelo enkulu kwiqela leembethi-manqindi zalapha eNamibia. Bendimmema eze kwiitumente zam apha eNamibia. Wandithumelela unthandazo wesibhulu ngomhla weshumi elinethoba kulenyanga.”
Inkwenkwezi kaThobela yaqaqamba ngakumbi ngethuba ephumelela intshinga yeWorld Boxing Organisation (WBO) kudidi lwelightweight emva kokubetha ummi waseMexico uMauricio Aceves eBrownsville kwelaseMelika ngoSeptemba 1990.
Phantse nje kwiminyaka emithathu emva koko, uThobela waphumelela intshinga yeWorld Boxing Association (WBA) kudidi lwelightweight ebetha uTony Lopez waseMelika eSun City, eRustenburg, ngoJune 1993.
“Ndifike eRhawutini kanye ngaphambi komlo wakhe wesibini noTony Lopez eSun City. Saya kunye kwinkampu yokuzilolonga ngaphambi komlo wakhe no-Orzubek Nazarov ngo-1993. Mna ndandihlala eHillbrow, yena ehlala eKelvin. Besidla ngokutyelelana, sidlale ipool kunye,” utshilo uTobias.
UThobela waphumelela intshinga yeWorld Boxing Council (WBC) kudidi lwesuper-middleweight ebetha uGlenn Catley from wase-United Kingdom eCarnival City, eBrakpan ngoSeptemba 2000. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
