UBHODLELE kwabamgxekayo umshayisibhakela waseNingizimu Afrika, u-Ali “Rush Hour” Funeka, oshayiswe okwengane yivukane uJeff Horn empini yebhande le-WBO Inter-Continental welterweight ngoMgqibelo eNew Zealand.
UFuneka (38), ongomunye wabashayisibhakela abadala eNingizimu Afrika, uhlulwe ngomngqimuzo womlalisa phansi ngomzuliswano wesithupha empini obekulindeleke ukuthi abuyise ngayo isithunzi esibhakeleni somhlaba. Nokho ugcine esephenduka ihlaya evuswa phansi nguHorn kulandelana ngomzuliswano wesihlanu nowesithupha ngesikhathi ehluleka ukuvika isibhakela sakwesokudla singena sigcwala emhlathini nalapho unompempe evele wayiqeda khona impi.
UFuneka uphunyukwe yimpi abeyiqale kahle kulandela ukuvusa othulini uHorn emzuliswaneni wesithathu. Nokho emuva kwalokho itshe ligaye ngomunye umhlathi. Ngokuhlula uFuneka, uHorn uzibeke ethubeni lokubhekana noManny Pacquiao ophethe ibhande le-World Boxing Organisation (WBO) welterweight. Irekhodi likaHorn linyukele ku 17-0-0, kwathi elikaFuneka lehlela ku-39-6-3.
Emuva kwempi uFuneka ubhale ekhasini lika-facebook exolisa kubalandeli bakhe ngokuhlulwa. “Mina Ali Funeka ngithanda ukuthatha leli thuba ngixolise kubalandeli bami nomndeni ngokuphoxeka engibadalele khona. Siye laphaya eNew Zealand sifuna ukuyiwina le mpi kodwa ngoba ezamankomane zingezemidlalo, uyawina kwesinye isikhathi uhlulwe,” kusho uFuneka.
Ushintshile wagadla kulabo abebemgxeka ngokuhlulwa kwakhe wathi: “Engingakuqondi ukuthi kungani abantu behlale becabanga okuhlukile uma ibhokisa lihlulwa empini. Bakhuluma indaba yokuthi kufanele lisiyeke isibhakela kodwa uma liwina liyanconywa. Ngihlulwe empini obekufanele ngiyiwine. Ngishaywe endaweni efanele ngesikhathi esifanele.”
UFuneka akaqali ukushayeka ngale ndlela. Nyakenye ushaywe kabuhlungu nguTsiko “Cruel Junior” Mulovhedzi emephuca ibhande le-International Boxing Organisation (IBO) phambi kwabalandeli bakhe e-East London. Le mpi ilandelwe yizinsolo zokuthi uMulovhedzi waseLimpopo usebenzise umuthi. Emuva kwalokho uFuneka uwine izimpi ezintathu kulandelana ehlula uGideon Agbosu waseGhana empini yebhande le-WBO Africa welterweight ebelingaphethwe muntu. Uphinde wehlula uViskhan Murzabekov waseRussia. NgoJulayi uvikele ngempumelelo ibhande le-WBO Africa kuJustice Addy waseGhana.
Ngaphandle kukaFuneka, uMzonke “The Rose of Khayelitsha” Fana, uhlale ebeleselwa ngokuthi sekufanele aphanyeke amagilavu emgibeni kodwa uhlale ethi uzoyeka uma sekuthanda yena. Nokho emuva kokuqulekaehlulwa ngu-Emmanuel Tagoe waseGhana emasontweni adlule, uthe usa-zocabanga ajule ngekusasa lakhe.