NO matter which way one looks at it, Len Leisching occupies a rarefied atmosphere. Least of all for celebrating his 80th birthday on September 11 this year.
But age has never been a yardstick of value to this born-and-bred Forest Hill resident.
Evidence of this disregard for conventions surrounding age and ability was demonstrated back in 1952, when he represented South Africa at the Olympic Games in Helsinki at the tender age of 17. Not only did he participate on the world stage a mere six years after taking up the sport, he returned with a bronze medal in the men’s featherweight division – one of only ten medals the country won that year.
It was at a much younger age, though, that he recalls first having to use his fists in anger.
“I was in grade one when this other kid wanted to fight me,” he said. “But I didn’t want to fight him so I ran home from Forest HIll Primary School – about ten blocks – but he chased me and I eventually had to face him.”
This didn’t end well for his aggressor, who had to flee with this tail between his legs and tears streaming from his eyes.
It was another six or so years before Len started training at the Forest Hill Boxing Club, but his natural ability in the sport was evident for all to see and resulted in him winning the SA Amateur Boxing Championships three times – in 1951 and 1956 as a featherweight and in 1953 as a lightweight.
His crowning moment came at the Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, Canada in 1954, where he won gold as a featherweight. Notably, he beat British boxer Dave Chandley on points in the semi-finals. Chandley went on to pursue a professional boxing career and was eventually crowned the English and Commonwealth boxing champion.
Len explains that he had given up boxing for about 18 months prior to participating in his final Olympic Games – the 1956 games in Melbourne, Australia. “I started training again to try to get into the team, which I did. But we didn’t fare well, and after that I stopped boxing.”
Which is not to say he gave up on his pursuit of sporting success.
Apart from playing in a star-studded Rangers Football Club team in the first division that had up to five national players in the side, Len also plied his trade as a right back when he played a season for Wigan Athletic in the UK and for Llandudno in Wales.
His footballing career may have turned out very differently had he won the approval of Liverpool Football Club when he went there in 1960 for trials.
His English adventures also included a stint at High Wycombe Cricket Club, where Len played an instrumental role in helping the club finish second in the league with a couple of hundreds. He says this was a dramatic reversal of fortune for the club as it had finished second from the bottom the season before.
Len continued his cricketing ambitions in South Africa where he played Premier League cricket for Southern Suburbs, along with national players such as Tiger Lance, Hugh Tayfield and Kenny Walters.
Len would have been excused if he had given up his love of sport and remaining fit given this illustrious career.
But he’s not one to easily put himself out to pasture.
“I still play squash twice a week at Southern Suburbs Squash Club,” he said. “I started playing when I was around 35 or 40 and have played ever since. Squash is a fitness game and I like to keep fit.”
Len played competitive league squash for the Gauteng and Gauteng Masters leagues, but consoles himself now with the more social aspects of the game.
His boxing pedigree is clear to his teammates and playing partners, who have characterised his squash as economical and thoughtful. No shots played in anger and no brute force used when he plays shots.
“It’s said that he plays squash like a boxer, using his excellent court skills, touch and fitness in an equivalence of bobbing and weaving to move the point to where he could manufacture an opening and deliver the winning stroke,” said teammate Darryl Schneeburger. “He simply doesn’t give up and when provided with any opportunity will take full advantage by keeping his head.”
And fortunately, he’s never had to raise his fists in anger while on court.
He’s not shy to show off his moves, however, if it will help his would-be opponent realise the error of his ways. He recalls a traffic incident in which another motorist was clearly agitated over something Len had done to raise his ire.
“So, we pulled over to the side of the road, but all I did was get out and do some shadow boxing. The guy clearly got the message and decided to rather drive off,” he said with a smile.
Lennie has been an honorary member of the Southern Suburbs squash club since 2007. The club celebrated Lennie’s birthday on September 11 by throwing him a spit-braai party kindly sponsored by Eric Grace, Luis Rebelo and Gavin and Amy Schultz and organised by Daniel Zang.
