Only the best of the best boxers box in Brixton.
The Hugenote Amateur Boxing Club once again shone this year, maintaining its image as one of the best amateur boxing clubs around, particularly in lighter weights.
Coach, Boetie Lourens put much of the club’s success in recent years down to his boxers’ self-belief, and his training technique of working with boxers’ own styles to make them unique and confident fighters.
“Wayne [de Bruyne] keeps his gloves down when he fights, which is definitely not what is taught nowadays, but he is comfortable like that so I left it,” he said.
“Likewise, Ezra [Mlotshwa] has an awkward style that people cannot read but he is very fast and if he keeps training he will make it to the Olympics in Tokyo.”
READ: Westdene para-athlete will not let anything stop her
De Bruyne is the Gauteng champion in the junior bantam division, and this year represented his province at the SA School Boxing Championships, but could only make it to the preliminary rounds.
Mlotshwa went a bit further. Gauteng champion in the bantam 52kg division, he earned bronze at nationals. He also won silver at the Open Boxing league, a national event.
Similarly, Donovan de Beer is Gauteng champion in light flyweight 48kg and took silver at nationals.
“I have been boxing for nine years,” Mlotshwa (19) said.
“I love that it is a one-on-one sport and it helps improve discipline.”
Lourens reiterated the discipline that boxing promoted, as well as the fact that boxing offered a controlled environment in which one could relieve stress and learn a form of self-defence.
Next year, Lourens promises more top-quality boxing from the club and invited anyone interested in boxing to find out more about the sport.
ALSO SEE: GALLERY: Boxing is a controlled sport
Details: Hugenote Amateur Boxing Club 083 378 2717.