ZOLANI "Last Born" Tete jets off to the US today to collect his trophy after his IBF junior bantamweight title elimination bout against Juan Carlos Sanchez in Mexico in November was voted fight of the year by the New Jersey-based sanctioning body.

Tete stopped Sanchez in the 10th round and earned the right to oppose Teiru Kinoshita for the vacant title in Japan on July 18.

Tete is the first boxer from Africa to win the IBF award.

For that the 22-year-old former WBF and WBO African flyweight undefeated champion from Mdantsane earned himself R20000 and a plaque from Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula whose department is also footing the bill for Tete's trip to the US.

"I'm taken aback by this gesture," said a gleeful Tete yesterday.

"I did not expect anything. This honour has motivated me a lot going into my fight.

"I can assure the minister and the whole of South Africa that Mr Mbalula will receive a new IBF champion after I am done with Kinoshita."

Tete's trainer, Mhikiza "Showtime" Myekeni, himself a former champion, said: "This gesture has motivated all of us to make sure that we bring the title back here."

Mbalula confirmed that his department will also send Tete to the High Performance Centre in Mangaung, Free State, to finalise preparations for his upcoming world title fight.