The CPUT university boxing team have been given a boost after they were presented with a brand new boxing ring on Mandela Day.
The ring is believed to be the only tournament size ring owned by an institution of higher education in SA.
The ring was promised by CPUT Vice-Chancellor Prof Chris Nhlapo after meeting with them in 2022.
At the time, Nhlapo committed to purchasing the team a tournament size ring so that the squad could continue to train effectively and go from strength to strength.
In April, Team CPUT secured the second place spot in a field of 11 university teams in the USSA competition and the spot continues to grow rapidly at the university.
Nhlapo says the unveiling of the ring on Mandela Day was the conclusion of a promise he made a year ago.
“For all the boxers here, this ring is for you. You have been waiting for this moment for so long.
“Boxing embodies the essence of Mandela’s philosophy like the ability to rise above adversity.
“I have no doubt that this ring will see boxing rival rugby in popularity at CPUT.”
Captain of the team Aphiwe Ntluzwana, 24, says he stumbled on boxing when visiting the Bellville campus stadium in 2019 to watch soccer.
“I saw the team and I started training with him. I just love it, it saved me actually.
“At university you can sometimes get caught up with drinking and smoking but as a boxer you can’t do anything like that,” he says.
The captain adds that the team strives to uphold the legacy of good sportsmanship of former president Nelson Mandela, who was a boxer himself.
“Mandela was a boxer and we promise to honour the legend in a good way, may his soul rest in peace.”
The inaugural Mandela Day Boxing Challenge will be an annual event and kicked off with team CPUT squaring off against neighbour UWC.