Boxers Big Break- The Wits Boxing Club in 2024
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The Wits Boxing Club champions reigned in the new year with a stellar performance and some silverware.
The Wits boxers dealt huge blows to their competitors at the 2024 University Sport South Africa (USSA) tournament with two Wits starlets, Sibongakonke Ndlovu and Sonwabo Zolani collecting silver medals in their respective competitions. The journey to the top is no easy feat, but the Wits Boxing Club has made it their mission to reach that peak, and in 2024, they showed that they could.
2023 marked the first time that the Wits Boxing Club participated in the USSAs since 2015, a commendable achievement. However, in 2024, the team found some victories. One such victory is the returning champion, Sibongakonke Ndlovu, and his second-place finish at the tournament.
“Going back to the USSAs was a really great experience since that is the main tournament that we prepare for during the course of the year. Especially returning as the defending champion for the 63kg Division,” he said about his experience at last year’s games.
Ndlovu has been boxing for five years and initially took up the hobby to defend himself and build confidence. Like every other Wits student athlete, Ndlovu needs to find the balance between his sport and his academics, and he has seemingly found that sweet spot, currently studying for his third year in Geological Science.
“I believe the biggest challenge was trying to get everyone into training in November. Being a student athlete is quite difficult, having to juggle sports and exams, especially with the tournament being the first week of December,” said Shamaine Shungube, the team manager for the Wits Boxing Club.
Despite this, the club was committed to getting stellar results, and they committed themselves wholly to achieving them. Ndlovu said, “We had a camp that focused mainly on preparation for the USSAs in November after we had written all our exams.”
At this camp, the athletes trained daily, participating in strength and conditioning training on Monday and Wednesday mornings, and running 10km on the remaining days.
Alongside the students, team manager Shungube also saw success after winning the “Best National Manager” trophy at the 2024 USSAs. “It was such a wholesome moment for the love I have for this club to be recognised,” she said of her feelings after winning the award.
Shungube has been officially managing the team for almost three years, juggling a million hats as the glue that keeps the team strong. Her commitment to the team and her athletes is quickly seen through the quality of the squad.
Ultimately, the Wits Boxing Club has proven itself to be a worthy contender in university competitions, with the athletes making steady progress. The team hopes to continue this upward trajectory and foster growth for many more athletes over the next year.
