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Overstrand Whale Boxing Club in Zwelihle has once again proved its mettle at an international boxing tournament where Simamkele Damesi, one of the club’s star boxers, won a bronze medal.
Another feather in OWBC’s cap is the fact that the club’s founder and head coach, Mzi Damesi, served as Team South Africa’s head coach for this important event that took place from 22-27 May in Luanda, Angola.
The international boxing tournament was held at the pavilion of the Sports Citadel and was part of Angola’s 50 Years of Democracy celebrations. Eighty boxers from seven African countries participated in the tournament.
Although it was his first stint as head coach of the national boxing team, Mzi was rewarded for his efforts and coaching skills when five of the six boxers who represented South Africa at the international tournament won bronze.
“Thank you to the South African National Boxing Organisation for placing their trust in me and giving me the opportunity to coach the national team for this event in Angola. I must say a special word of thanks to EMS Foundation because if it weren’t for their support, my boxers and I would never have been able to attend the national championships where we could show off our skills and be noticed,” Mzi stated.
Boxing in their blood
That boxing runs deep in the blood of the Damesi family, is clear. Simamkele’s older brother Siphamandla is a four-time national gold winner who has represented South Africa at the Brics Sports Games in Kazan, Russia in 2024. Simamkele and Siphamandla are Mzi’s nephews.
Simamkele, who is currently the national champion in the 67kg division, was the only boxer from the Western Cape to be included in the team that also included two boxers from the Eastern Cape, one from Mpumalanga, one from Limpopo and one from Gauteng.
These boxers’ performance, said Mzi, will be finely scrutinised at upcoming tournaments to determine whether they will qualify for the Olympics qualifying team.
“I believe Simamkele can qualify if he receives the necessary support that will enable him to train to the best of his abilities and participate in all the tournaments and training camps,” Mzi stated. “That is why we are pleading with local businesses and individuals to come forward as sponsors for Simamkele. We also need the services of a dietician, physical therapists and doctors who can help him to be in peak physical condition. If we can get private sponsors on board for Simamkele it will greatly improve his chances to qualify for the team that will take part in the next Olympics.”
Open to everyone
Overstrand Whale Boxing has a state of the art gym that was built and equipped with the financial backing of EMS Foundation and other generous donors. But this gym isn’t only home to the boxers, it is also used by various organisations to host events.
“We are extremely grateful to EMS Foundation for this building that serves to bring communities together. Atlantics Rugby Club practises at our gym every Wednesday, Spairo Art Foundation uses it on Tuesday afternoons, the Hermanus Spiritual Gospel Group from Zwelihle has their practise sessions there and on Sundays church services are held in our hall,” Mzi explained.
He added that because OWBC is a non-profit organisation they invite everyone to join the club to get fit and learn some boxing skills free of charge. “It is open to everyone, boys and girls. Younger boxers from 10 to 14 years train Mondays to Fridays from 16:30 – 18:00 and those who are 15 and older train every day from 18:00 – 19:30.
“It is open to everyone from all genders and races, but we want to extend a special invitation to young girls so that they can learn self-defence skills. This is very important to us because gender-based violence is a big problem in our communities,” Mzi stated.
In honour of Youth Month, OWBC will host a special boxing tournament at the gym on 21 June. Clubs from Grabouw, Villiersdorp, Stellenbosch and other areas will also be competing at this event that will kick off at 10:00. Tickets to the tournament cost R40 for adults and R10 for children.
Contact Mzi Damesi on 082 621 5906 or Buli Bosman on 071 859 6984 for more information about joining the club.
