Azinga Fuzile’s trainer Colin Nathan is excited by the opportunity of getting another chance an at elimination fight for the IBF junior-lightweight title despite having lost the original case against Russia’s Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov.
Rakhimov was accused of using some smelling salts.
Following their fight in East London last year, Fuzile and his camp lodged an appeal against Rakhimov after his handlers were caught on camera using what seemed to be an illegal substance.
Fuzile was stooped in the 8th round in what was his first-ever loss.
Despite not getting the outcome they were looking for, Nathan is welcoming the opportunity to soon participate in another elimination bout.
Nathan says they have learnt their lesson from this Rakhimov episode but now he’s also focused on venturing to the continent to find more talent because the amateur structures in the country are not productive like before.
This is due to the struggles of the South African National Amateur Boxing Organisation (SANABO).
Nathan, who owns the Hot Box Gym where his stable also has former world champion Hekkie Budler and IBF world champion Moruti Mthalane, also expressed his disappointment at SANABO for failing to send boxers to the recent African Olympic qualifiers in Dakar, Senegal, due to lack of funding.
He says this shows the challenges that amateur boxing is going through in the country.
– Report by Velile Mnyandu
