Award-winning boxing trainer Colin ‘Nomakanjani’ Nathan is going to return to his Johannesburg home on Wednesday following mixed fortunes in Japan.
Nathan led Phumelela ‘The Truth’ Cafu to World Boxing Organisation (WBO) junior-bantamweight glory after he defeated Japanese boxer Kosei Tanaka via a split decision in Tokyo, Japan, on Monday.
However, Nathan’s visit to Japan was dampened by Sivenathi ‘Special One’ Nontshinga’s ninth round loss of his International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-flyweight crown to Japanese Masamichi Yabuki on Saturday.
“I will return home on Wednesday with bitter sweet experience. It’s never easy when you have lost a world championship. Sive is a young kid and I’m going to bring him back,” Nathan said.
Nathan said about Cafu: “Phumelela showed a lot of mental resolve. You could see after the seventh round, which he lost, that he showed a lot of character. The stakes were incredibly high. We beat a four-weight division champion in his home town.”
Nathan will land at the OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park together with a triumphant Cafu, Boxing5’s Larry Wainstein, Shannon Strydom and Hayden Bruce on Wednesday. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
