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Inaugural soccer tournament a
success PAGE 15
SPORT
The importance of boundaries
PAGE 10
Fuzile’s shot at world
title ends in defeat
Boxer's trainer says international contest still a good learning experience
LEADING THE PACK: B o rd e r ’s Asithandile
Ntoyanto in action against the Sharks
defence at Police Park Picture: MARK
ANDREWS
B o rd e r ’s Ntoyanto
to lead Springbok
women in England
ATHENKOSI TSOTSI
Border Women’s Asithandile Ntoyanto will
look to put her injury troubles behind her when
she leads the Springbok Women against the
Barbarians in England on Saturday.
The match will bring an end to the Bok
Wo m e n ’s overseas tour, one of huge
significance for the preparations for 2022’s
Wo m e n ’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
The exhibition match will provide a stiff test
for Ntoyanto and company, but it also allows
them to play some enterprising rugby.
Come Saturday, the seven-cap Springbok
will look to end her season on a high, and put
herself in a good position in the eyes of the
selectors as 2022’s squad is starting to take
shape.
As one of only four players in the current
touring squad to have played at the 2014 Rugby
World Cup in France, Ntoyanto knows what the
global showpiece entails, but unlike
Nolusindiso Booi, Zenay Jordaan or Tayla
Kinsey, her career was almost over before it
started due to injury.
The Nqamakwe Eagles club prop returned
home to take some time off from the game as
her traumatic ankle injury affected her
m e n t a l l y.
“I did not properly recover and paid the
price, as it set me back a long time,” said
N t oya n t o .
“I became scared to play my game. I did not
want to give everything, fearing that I could get
injured again.
“Only once I completed a proper rehab
programme, I got better and could play at a
decent level again.”
That decent level for the Border Ladies
earned her a recall to the national team for the
Tests against Kenya in August 2021, where
Ntoyanto added a fifth cap, seven years after
her fourth.
It became six in Vannes and when she
played off the bench in Cardiff two weeks ago,
her seventh contribution became a telling one.
She was very involved in the second half
comeback by the Springbok Women and has
now been rewarded with a start — her first on
tour — against the illustrious Baabaas.
“I realised — against Wales — that I can still
play and contest at this level and it was a great
f e e l i n g ,” she said.
“Tomorrow will be an important day for me,
I will be able to scrum and to tackle with a lot
of confidence and showcase what I am about.
“The forwards have things to do as well, it is
not about the backs only in a game like that,”
she said. - DispatchLIVE
KNOCKED OUT: Kenichi Ogawa punches Azinga Fuzile during their championship bout for the
vacant IBF junior lightweight title at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on November
27 in New York Picture: AL BELLO/GETTY IMAGES
SIPHOSIHLE DYONASE
East London boxer Azinga Fuzile lost a
unanimous decision to Japanese opponent
Kenichi Ogawa after he was dropped three
times in the IBF junior lightweight title clash at
Hulu Theatre in Madison Square Garden, New
York, on Sunday morning.
The scores were 115-110 twice and 114-111,
which means the three knock-downs cost Fuzile
according to the judges scorecards.
Fuzile’s trainer, Mzamo Njekanye, said his loss
in a world title challenge was a learning
experience that would serve him well in the
future.
The Buffalo City Metro released a
statement wishing Fuzile well ahead of his world
title contest over the weekend.
“Fuzile has been the pride of our city ever
since he laced his boxing gloves, proving that
regardless of one’s background and
circumstances, talent and determination can
make one a household name, hence he is
featuring in one of the renowned boxing venues in
the world.
“Throughout the world, our city is on the map,
❝ Regardless of the match
outcome, Fuzile joins this
prestigious list of Duncan
Village boxers who have
defied the odds and
travelled the world . . .
being known as a mecca of boxing due to its rich
heritage courtesy of our talented male and female
boxers who have made South Africa a force to be
reckoned with in boxing history.
“Regardless of the match outcome, Fuzile joins
this prestigious list of Duncan Village boxers wh o
have defied the odds and travelled the world,
showcasing his talent on behalf of his community.
“We would like to wish the Golden Boy and
his Rumble Africa team best of luck . . . we
welcome him [Fuzile] with pride and respect.“
Before the failed challenge, Fuzile was on
track to become only the fifth South African to win
the title match after Brian Mitchell, Cassius Baloyi,
Malcolm Klassen and Mzonke Fana.