It was indeed a special welcome home for two-time world champion Sivenathi ‘Special One’ Nontshinga as he landed at the King Phalo Airport in East London on Wednesday evening.
Nontshinga returned to East London following his triumph in Oaxaca, Mexico, where he stopped Mexican boxer Adrian Curiel Dominguez in the 10th round to reclaim the International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-flyweight on Saturday morning (South African time).
“Let me thank everyone who is here today to celebrate with me. This belt is for us all. I’m not a perfect person. I’m trying by all means to set an example,” Nontshinga said.
On the other hand, Rumble Africa Promotions (RAP) chairman Teris Ntutu thanked his promotional outfit’s chief executive officer Nomfesane Nyatela for the massive role she played in Nontshinga’s career.
“I’m thankful for the support given to Nontshinga and the team. Nomfesane, when we introduced each other into boxing, she ended up loving it and invested serious resources to boxing, more especially to Nontshinga and others. Not a single day she charged anything on NNontshinga’s purse,” Ntutu said.
“On the day of the fight, Nomfesane’s place was full of people who came to watch the fight on DAZN. Some people don’t understand these things. They speak ill without knowing the sacrifices of people like Nomfesane.”
Meanwhile, it was a sight to behold to see former world champions Welcome ‘Hawk’ Ncita and Vuyani ‘The Beast’ Bungu welcoming Nontshinga back home.
Ncita and Bungu were stablemates under the tutelage of the late Mzimasi Mnguni at Eyethu Boxing Gym in Mdantsane.
The 58-year-old Ncita was the first South African black boxer to win an IBF title after he dethroned Frenchman Fabrice Benichou to annex the junior-featherweight title in Tel Aviv, Israel, in March 1990. And the 57-year-old Bungu is the first SA boxer to win a world title in the new democratic era after he defeated Kennedy McKinney in August 1994.
