By Monwabisi Jimlongo
Johannesburg-based trainer Colin ‘Nomakanjani’ Nathan does not care whether boxing people like him or not as long as he is happy with his job.
The award-winning boxing trainer has made it clear that he is into the fistic sport to produce champions, not to please people.
“I have not started achieving yet. I wanna produce world champions for South Africa. I don’t care what people say. I don’t care if people don’t like me. I’m not in a popularity contest,” Cape Town-born Nathan said.
“I work with anyone and everyone. There are certain people in this sport who don’t like me. There are certain people I don’t like in this sport.”
The fact that he does not care about what people think of him doesn’t mean Nathan is not appreciating someone like acting Boxing South Africa (BSA) chief executive officer Cindy Nkomo.
“I have always said that women can do a better job compared to men. Cindy Nkomo has done a great job. She always puts the fighters first. For me that’s gold. She’s doing a marvellous job,” Nathan said.
Meanwhile, Nathan has insisted that he’s going to continue helping boxers he manages whether he trains them or not. A case in point is that of Azinga ‘Golden Boy’ Fuzile, who left Nathan’s Hot Box Gym and returned to his former trainer Mzamo ‘Chief’ Njekanye last month.
Fuzile is going to clash with Martin Ward from the United Kingdom in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-lightweight bout for the mandatory spot. Whoever wins between Fuzile and Ward will face the winner of the fight between Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov from Tajikistan and Japanese boxer Kenichi Ogawa, who meet in a vacant IBF junior-lightweight title contest.
“It’s not the first time I’m in this situation. I care for South African boxing. Emotionally, I’m not a social worker. If he chooses his trainer I wish him all the best,” Nathan said.
