A talented teenage girl from Botshabelo is making waves in boxing circles, inspiring more peers to gradually come to the fore to claim their stake in the male-dominated sport globally.
Sebina Lekhelebane (17), a Gr. 10 learner at the Popano Secondary School in Botshabelo, cut her teeth in boxing in 2019, thanks to encouragement by her brother, Karabo Lekhelebane.
Sebina reveals she took up boxing by default.
“My mother suggested I accompany my brother to training. The reason was because they knocked off late from work and my brother came home late from training, too. Her suggestion to accompany my brother was simply for safety reasons, rather than encouraging me to start boxing. Her fear was that I was alone at home at the time,” said Sebina.
Through routine trips with her brother to a local boxing club, the teenager said she was bitten by the boxing bug.
“Then, when at home, my brother would display to me how they train and prepare as boxers to keep fit for competition. So, I then accompanied him to training at the club to observe. I actually did not like boxing,” said Sebina.
Then things took a turn at the club.
“The then coach asked if I would be interested in boxing. I then started training, and fell in love with boxing,” said Sebina.
She said the training she received from her brother stood her in a good stead and enabled her to adapt.
“I acquired some knowledge about boxing through training provided by my brother,” said Sebina.
She said when two girls joined the club, she was motivated to continue training.
“But then the two girls quit, leaving me alone at the club,” said Sebina.
She has developed a strong passion for the sport and this has seen her join the Bloemfontein-based Devil’s Boxing Club, where her boxing skills are honed by her coach and manager, David “Treto” Molatlhoe. Her previous stable is the Serenity Boxing Club.
Sebina has thus far built up a seven fight record, with five wins and two losses since starting in 2019.
The teenager commutes by bus for at least four days out of the week from her hometown of Botshabelo, to train at the Bochabela Boxing Arena, where she officially joined the club in March.
Sebina has no regret in her decision of choosing boxing. The gutsy teenager showcased the amazing talent she possesses during the cadet tournament held at the Bochabela Boxing Arena in Bloemfontein on 20 April. She fought a tough contender, Botle Thabatha (23), of the Bloemfontein-based stable Skhokho Boxing Club.
Sebina was declared the winner with split decision after an enthralling three-rounder bout.
She matched her opponent pound-for-pound and mustered the pressure from start to finish, continuously unleashing telling punches.
The pint-sized teenager sticks to the golden rules in boxing: to always have your guard up, and seize the opportunity to tame the opponent with telling body punches.
Fighting in the 54 kg weight class, their contest enthralled enthusiastic boxing fans, displaying remarkable boxing skills in the female contenders that some of their male counterparts are lacking.
It was no surprise then that Sebina was duly awarded the prestigious accolade of the tournament for her outstanding performance.
