Caption: From left is Nomandithini Ndyambo and Nobengazi Booth after the weigh-in.
The KwaZulu-Natal boxing fraternity will be holding its collective breath this Sunday as Nobengazi Booth steps into the ring in East London with her sights set on the vacant SA Junior Middleweight title.
But the path to glory will be anything but easy.
Standing in her way is home favourite Nomandithini Ndyambo, who will be buoyed by local support as she looks to deny Booth a landmark victory.
Hailing from the small Midlands town of Mooi River, Booth enters the bout brimming with confidence after a string of impressive performances. The rising star has already carved out an impressive résumé, boasting two provincial titles.
Just three weeks ago, she emphatically claimed the KZN crown with a dominant victory over Noxolo Mkhssibe in front of her home crowd. That triumph followed another historic moment last year when she travelled outside her province to secure the Mpumalanga title—firmly establishing herself as one of the country’s most promising fighters.
A victory on Sunday would not only mark a personal milestone for Booth but also deliver a much-needed boost to KwaZulu-Natal boxing. The province has been trailing behind others in producing national champions and currently has only three SA title holders: Nomusa Ngema (featherweight) from KwaMashu, Wendy Gcadu (super middleweight) from Lindelani, and Mapule Ngubane (middleweight) from Pietermaritzburg.
With pride, history, and provincial bragging rights on the line, all eyes will be on East London as Booth looks to rise—and Ndyambo aims to defend her turf.
Email: linda@onenews.co.za
