Legendary boxing trainer Norman Hlabane has finally received national recognition after he was one of the recipients of the Andrew Mlangeni Green Jacket Award at the South African Sport Awards in Sun City, Rustenburg, on Sunday evening.
With boxing not having a single nominee in all the different categories, the 79-year-old Hlabane saved the day for the fistic sport as he received the award.
Hlabane was honoured together with nine-time Comrades Marathon winner Bruce Fordyce, former sprinter Peter Manero Ngobeni, octogenarian and marathon runner Johannes Mosehla as well as Errol Tobias, the first black rugby player to play for South Africa in a Test match.
Strangely, boxing is yet to honour Hlabane despite spending more than six decades of his life serving the fistic sport.
A former professional boxer, Hlabane is best remembered for guiding the late Dingaan ‘The Rose of Soweto’ Thobela to the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) and World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight glory.
Currently, Hlabane, the recipient Lifetime Achievement award recipient at the 2018 Gauteng Sport Awards, is the trainer of reigning South African lightweight champion Khaya Busakwe.
