Johannesburg-based boxing trainer Charrit Mukondeleli felt a sharp pain after he received the sad news of the passing away of South African bantamweight champion Thivhulawi Ronald ‘King’ Malindi on Saturday.
Malindi passed away after he had spent more than a month at the Helen Joseph Hospital in Johannesburg following a shooting incident in Westbury last month.
“It’s very painful that Ronald lost his battle in hospital. He fought, he never wanted to give up,” Mukondeleli said.
Malindi and Mukondeleli’s paths crossed when the deceased joined a gym where the boxing trainer trained more than eight years ago. Malindi was just 19 years old and Mukondeleli was still a boxer at the time.
After retiring as a boxer, Mukondeleli became Malindi’s former trainer Bernie Pailman’s assistant. They were together in East London when Malindi made two successful title defences against Michael Daries and the late Lwandile Sityata.
“We walked this journey with him for nine years. Boxing SA has lost a star in Thivhulawi Ronald Malindi,” Mukondeleli remarked.
At the time of his death, Malindi was unbeaten in 19 fights and had made four successful title defences. He was only one win away from becoming an outright owner of the SA belt.
