The only surviving Komani boxing club, Queenstown Boys Boxing Club (QBBC), will turn 106 years old in March and will be celebrating the milestone with a marathon of events.
QBBC, formed in 1918, has been knocked out and has had itself knocked out of challenges through the years.
Komani-Karoo Express sat with current coach and manager, Mabhuti Mapeyi, who shared the wins and the losses of the club.
Mapeyi joined the club in 1978 as a junior boxer but had his last fight in 1985 when he had to leave Komani due to political unrest in the area.
He later rejoined the stable and had his last fight in August 1999.
“I first led QBBC in 2000 when I returned to Komani. It was very challenging to lead for the first time. It was difficult to get training gear and without it, boxing was close to non-existent, but I found motivation from the boys,” he said.
The club, Mapeyi said, had a national champion in 2000/2001 in Thulani Mthiya.
He said that former local boxers were not willing to lend a helping hand.
“The club now has 40 boxers, and we intend to embark on a recruitment drive through outdoor tournaments, but lack of equipment, traveling expenses, accommodation, and government not funding remains a challenge for us,” he said, adding that at times he had to finance trips.
His recruitment drive will include discovering female boxers as the QBBC only had female boxers between 2017 and 2019.
“During this month (February) we will have tournaments with our focus in March. For the main event, we expect about 14 clubs, with about 180 boxers. The tournament will happen throughout the night until the morning,” he said.
With his mind focusing on growing the club, Mapeyi said the club has boxers between the ages of nine and mid-20s.
He said that the government needed to support the club as it plays a huge role in community development.
“We play a huge role in moving the boys away from drugs, crime, and alcohol. Even if they don’t box, they can still come to the gym, and we will find something that is of interest for them to do,” Mapeyi said.
“To the community of Komani, we need your support. We need parents to come watch their boy’s box, having parents watch these boys fills them with so much joy and pride.”
–news24.com
