Fighters gear up for national champs

Promising boxer Linamandla Tyhala, 17, a bantam weight from Gugulethu, received just the kind of confidence booster he needed ahead of the upcoming national championship, when he claimed the Western Province title, at Vibrant Sports, in Ottery, earlier this month.

Light on his feet, with a ready smile and quick fists, the youngster is one of two fighters from the Gatesville-based Phenom Boxing Academy, who will be making their debut on the national stage.

Teammate, Jordan Koemalo, 17, from Bridgetown, and a Grade 11 pupil at Oude Molen Technical High School, also secured his spot at the national championships, in Durban, in July.

Lina, as friends call him, has only been boxing for just over a year and a half, but has already made enough of an impression to make those in boxing circles take note.

Introduced to boxing by an acquaintance who dared him to give it a shot, Lina, like a brave young lion, was immediately up for the challenge, saying buckling under peer pressure is not always a bad thing.

“A friend of mine wanted me to be active and find something that could boost my confidence. I didn't have a reason to say no,” he said. “The rest as they say, is history in the making,” he jokingly said.

Coach Tasriq Sayed Ismail has been keeping a close eye on his young charges over the past two years and he believes they have what it takes to go all the way to the top.

“Every boxer has their own style. It takes patience, observation and listening to make sure that you understand them and what each individual needs to get the best out of them,” he said.

“Every boxer has their own challenges. The most common would be facing their fears. As a coach, I like to have conversations with each of them and get to know them as individuals outside of the gym. I create challenges for each of them to get them out of their comfort zones. Once they are comfortable it is easier to push them to achieve more results. So as a coach, listen, understand each boxer and always challenge them as an individual,” he said.

“Myself and Linamandla are now training for the second year together and already he’s a Western Province champion. If he keeps pushing to improve, he is more than capable of being a national champion and if he plans to go professional, he has the potential to become SA champion,” said Sayed Ismail.

“He never forgets his gum guards and boxing gloves at home. He faces every challenge that is in front of him. He won't say no if faced with a new challenge and he knows well if something does not work for him,” he said.

For now, his young prospect is focused on putting in the hard yards. A positive attitude and solid work ethic should stand him in good stead in living up to his promise.

“I train five days a week, three hours a session”, making 60 hours a month of training. This does not include road work because my immune system is weak. I get sick easily with the cold rainy weather but I run before school on a daily basis.

“What I like about boxing is that in order to win you have to give it your all body and mind so you have to want it more than the next person in order to win,” he said.

While taking a short, but well-deserved break from training during the school holidays, Phenom is gearing up to host one of its regular boxing events featuring 13 amateur bouts, on Saturday June 29, starting at 3pm.

“Phenom Boxing Academy hosts these events every second month as there are not always championships for boxers to compete in. We have boxers from other gyms coming out to compete with their fighters. We want the boxers that are training throughout the year to be able to showcase their abilities on a regular basis and not just once every six months. A boxer needs to stay active,” said Sayed Ismail.

• Entry is R120 for adults, and children under-12 pay R60. For more information, call 073 817 9014.