Uzanyelwa impi nompetha we-IBF
ABAPHATHI bakaMoruti “Babyface” Mthalane bahlela ukuyofongqa isigqoko kumpetha we-International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight mayelana nempi yesicoco ekuqaleni konyaka.
Ibhande le-IBF flyweight liphethwe nguDonnie Nietes wasePhilippines. Uliwine ngoMashi ehlula uKomgrich Nantapech lingaphethwe muntu. UMthalane, owake waliphatha leli bhande, utshele Isolezwe ukuthi yena nomqeqeshe wakhe, uColin “Nomakanjani” Nathan, bahlela ukuxhumana nekhona likaNietes ngenhloso yokuthi lo mpetha alivikele kuyena ibhande ngonyaka ozayo. Selokhu eliwinile ibhande uNietes akakaze alivikele.
Emasontweni amabili adlule uMthalane ulaxaze ibhande le-IBO flyweight ngesikhathi elungiselela ukulwela ele-IBF International nagcine eliwinile ehlula u-Ardin Diale wasePhilippines ngomcacamezelo womlalisa phansi ngomzuliswano wesibili. Impi ibikade iseMmabatho Convention Centre ngoLwesihlanu ebusuku.
“Ngiyazi ukuthi kungenzeka ikhona likaNietes lingavumi ukuvikela ibhande kimina kodwa sizozama, akukho okudlula lokho. Ngithathe isinqumo sokushiya ibhande le-IBO ngoba alibalwa njengelinye lamabhande amakhulu emhlabeni, alihlonishwa kangako,” kusho uMthalane.
“Akulula ukubeka phansi ibhande ukade ulisebenzele kanzima. I-IBO ingisebenzele. Ngonyaka ozayo ngifuna ukulwela ibhande le-IBF, yikho ngithathe isinqumo sokulishiya ele-IBO. Manje sengingumpetha we-IBF International nokuzongivulela amathuba okulwela ibhande lomhlaba.”
UMthalane ulaxaze ibhande le-IBF ngo-2014 emuva kokubhekana nezinkinga ezama ukulivikela okukhona kuzona ukuthenjiswa amakinati ngophromotha bezimpi. Ulwele ibhande le-IBO, waliwina ehlula uJetha Oliver eThekwini.
Kulo nyaka uMthalane ulwe izimpi ezintathu wazinqoba zonke ingakapheli imizuliswano ebekiwe.Ngenyanga edlule, eqeda ukuguqisa u-Isaac Quaye waseGhana, ugxekwe yinkakha uPeter “Terror” Mathebula ngokushesha ukuqeda izimpi engakabajabulisi abantu.
“Angikholelwa ekutheni ngihambe ibanga elinde empini uma likhona ithuba lokushesha ngiyiqede. Impi noDiale ibingelula, ubekade enezibhakela ezibuhlungu. Kodwa ngimtholile ngomzuliswano wesibili kwaphela ngaye. Angifui ukuyeka umuntu ngoba naye uma engitholile ngeke angiyeke. Uma esengihlula kuzongcola irekhodi lami,” kusho uMthalane.