The Rise of Women in Boxing Series in Durban, an initiative of of Boxing South Africa, is encouraging more women to participate in the sport.
Thirty-year-old Thema Zuma from Mkhomazi on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast is the current South African Junior Bantam Weight Champion.
She says, “The problem we face is that there are no places to exercise, it is still difficult for us as women to find the proper materials we need. The support we ask for the most as women is clothing such as protectors when we are going to play, as well as boxing boots, they are not easily available. ”
The acting CEO of Boxing South Africa, Eric Sithole says, “Last year we introduced what we call ‘Women in Boxing Weeks’. What we did last year, we went to a number of rural areas, where we were preaching the gospel of women in boxing, that we want more women to participate and to be part of boxing, and as a result there is an influx of female licences that want to be part of boxing.”
Related video: Last week, the Free State hosted Women’s Month boxing extravaganza:
Reporting by Ayanda Chule.
