Boxing SA chief executive Tsholofelo Lejaka is raving about the fighting prowess of Nthabiseng Didi, whom he described as the future of local women's boxing.
Lejaka was a ring-side guest in the all- women tournament that was staged by Aphile Boxing Promotion at Nangoza Jebe Hall in Port Elizabeth on Friday.
Didi - the only rated contender to the SA junior lightweight belt that is held by Nozwelethu Mathonsi - fought in the undercard and outpointed Portia Base over eight rounds.
"Wow!" exclaimed Lejaka. "That girl is a star. Actually, [she is] the future of SA female boxing. She never sat down during breaks for seven rounds and that tells me that she was superbly fit for the fight. She was jumping and hopped like crazy.
"Didi fought very well. I was taken aback. Yes, these are fighters and you expect them to look the part in every aspect but Didi just took my breath away."
Didi stopped Base in their first bout in 2015 at the same hall. She then lost a close points decision to Mathonsi for the then vacant national title in Pretoria in December 2015. Didi's record now reads 2-2.
The main bout was the national lightweight championship between champion Nosipho Bell from Walmer in Port Elizabeth and Sthandiwe Ngcobo from Mandini in KwaZulu- Natal. Bell outpointed Ngcobo over 10 rounds.
In another bout, 35-year-old Noni "She Bee Stingin" Tenge defeated Esther Mashiye, 46, over six rounds in the junior middleweight class.
Meanwhile, former IBO bantamweight holder Sharrodene "Shinzo" Fortuin was crowned sportswoman of the year at the annual Eastern Cape sports awards in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, while the Eastern Cape Amateur Boxing Organisation walked away with the federation of the year award.
Fortuin - who is promoted by Tando Zonke of TZ Boxing Promotion - also won BSA's 2016 female fight of the year award in Durban in January for her impressive bout against Brazilian Simone da Silva.
Boxing chief floored by Didi's ring craft
Boxing SA chief executive Tsholofelo Lejaka is raving about the fighting prowess of Nthabiseng Didi, whom he described as the future of local women's boxing.
Lejaka was a ring-side guest in the all- women tournament that was staged by Aphile Boxing Promotion at Nangoza Jebe Hall in Port Elizabeth on Friday.
Didi - the only rated contender to the SA junior lightweight belt that is held by Nozwelethu Mathonsi - fought in the undercard and outpointed Portia Base over eight rounds.
"Wow!" exclaimed Lejaka. "That girl is a star. Actually, [she is] the future of SA female boxing. She never sat down during breaks for seven rounds and that tells me that she was superbly fit for the fight. She was jumping and hopped like crazy.
"Didi fought very well. I was taken aback. Yes, these are fighters and you expect them to look the part in every aspect but Didi just took my breath away."
Didi stopped Base in their first bout in 2015 at the same hall. She then lost a close points decision to Mathonsi for the then vacant national title in Pretoria in December 2015. Didi's record now reads 2-2.
The main bout was the national lightweight championship between champion Nosipho Bell from Walmer in Port Elizabeth and Sthandiwe Ngcobo from Mandini in KwaZulu- Natal. Bell outpointed Ngcobo over 10 rounds.
In another bout, 35-year-old Noni "She Bee Stingin" Tenge defeated Esther Mashiye, 46, over six rounds in the junior middleweight class.
Meanwhile, former IBO bantamweight holder Sharrodene "Shinzo" Fortuin was crowned sportswoman of the year at the annual Eastern Cape sports awards in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, while the Eastern Cape Amateur Boxing Organisation walked away with the federation of the year award.
Fortuin - who is promoted by Tando Zonke of TZ Boxing Promotion - also won BSA's 2016 female fight of the year award in Durban in January for her impressive bout against Brazilian Simone da Silva.
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