Chintsa BOXING: Sindile Bokwana's story

With sports activities and clubs on the rise in the Chintsa community we've yet another positive story to tell, this time of Sindile Bokwana who has started a boxing club in the Chintsa township and who mentors a group of about 22 youth in this ancient sport.

Sindile, middle, with a small group of young Chintsa boxers

- Story by Odwa Shaun Mtshini

Born in 1966, Sindile came to Chintsa after dropping out of Nyameko High School in Grade 10: his parents didn’t have enough money for him to continue going to school so he came to Chintsa seeking job opportunities. Seeing that there wasn’t enough money at home for everyone to benefit from, he decided to help the family out. 

At the age of 18 he had his first job and was employed at Chintsa East full time. As time and years went by he saw his friends going to a boxing gym and decided just to check it out.  He would go to the gym whenever he got the chance, and back then he didn’t have to pay entrance fee. Sindile continued to live and work in Chintsa, and then in 1989 he went to Johannesburg and found full time work there.

While he was working in Johannesburg he started training at a nearby boxing gym. Time went by and he began to find exposure in boxing: he got recognised and he started boxing professionally, fighting for Gauteng Province. He would come back home to Chintsa from Johannesburg during December.

One December while he was visiting his family he met someone and started dating. Years went by and he got married and started having a family of his own, so by 2001 he could no longer continue boxing because he had children and a wife and no longer had the time to go to the gym. He decided to give up professional boxing.

But that was only the beginning of the story: he decided to come back to Chintsa and open a boxing club with the help of others. They used the Chintsa East Primary School hall for training, and still train there to this day.

the training room: the hall of Chintsa East Public School

They are faced with some problems like a lack of transport to places were boxing tournaments take place, and also they need, at the very least, a mini boxing ring so they can have a place of their own to train. 

Sindile is currently seeking support for his boxing club - both for transport and for a boxing ring - as his young boxers are not getting the professional training and support they need to work as much as they need to in order to be competitive.  He also seeks support because half of the costs for expenses come from the young boxers he trains, and he puts in the rest from his own pocket.  So far the boxing club has been generously supported by African Heartland Journeys, Buccaneers Backpackers, The Village Bistro and Friends of Chintsa.

He is training about 22 kids between the ages of 13 and 22, but a lot of them do not come regularly. He thinks this is because their parents don’t know much about the boxing club.  He said he’ll be visiting all of his boxers' parents and have a word with them about the Chintsa Boxing Club. 

“We would appreciate all the help that we can get in order for us to keep our gym running, any type of donation towards the gym” he says.  "I would also like to thank Ross Burns for the much needed equipment donation!"  Ross was a volunteer from the UK who took Sindile into town and purchased the much needed equipment.

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Please stay in touch with The Boxing Club and all of Friends of Chintsa's news on Facebook - we are always updating our friends and fans with awe-inspiring stories such as these!  If you wish to provide support in any way please contact us at admin@friendsofchintsa.org

Chintsa East netball court attracts a new wave of sportswomen

For all of you who donated towards our Buy A Metre initiative by ‘buying’ a square metre of the sports field, know that your funds went towards an incredible venture - surfacing our village’s first professional netball court – and in so doing, you have contributed to a new wave in women’s sports in Chintsa. 

An interview with netball coach Noluthando Ngxanga, by Odwa Shaun Mtshini:

Born in 1972 in Chintsa East, Noluthando is from a family of seven.   While she was doing Grade 8 she was a choir member, but also did sports: Javelin throwing, Disc throwing and ...Netball!!!!

She captained for her school netball  team as well as playing for a local team at Phumalani. She passed Grade12 but couldn’t further her studies due to financial problems, and had to stay at home after finishing school. In 1996 she gave birth to a baby boy and named him Luvuyo.

We asked her about how she got back into Netball:

Where have you worked, and where do you work now?

In 2002 I was employed at Crawfords Beach Lodge, and then in 2004-2006 I got a job at Michaela’s restaurant (both in Chintsa East).  In 2007 I was offered a job back Crawfords and I’ve been working there since then.  A few years later and I’m now the supervisor.

When were the Chintsa Netball teams formed, and what made you start these Netball clubs?

I formed the Chintsa Netball Club in 2006 with the idea of getting girls away from drinking alcohol and falling pregnant because of having nothing to do, and from the easy availability of the substance. I am the coach of the team, and I made Nomonde Kantyashe Captain, and Iva the vice Cap.

Where did you practise before the sport field and the Netball court were built?

We used to practise at the place where Ntuthukweni Crèche is now built, but we moved after the sport field was built.

How you feel about the new sport field,  and have you seen any change in the girl’s happiness since the Netball court is built?

Yes we’re so happy to be playing and practising on the netball court!  It has also brought a number of other children to join us.

Tell us about your matches so far: how many at home and how many away?

We had a few home and away matches last year but this year we haven’t had any matches because things have changed, for example a number of the players are at boarding school now.  Others are still practising but they haven’t had any matches yet.

Who did you start the Netball Club with?

I started the Netball Club with Mike Denison who helped us by sponsoring Netball balls and whistles.  I asked for other sponsors but I didn’t get much of a response apart from “I’ll get back to you”.  A sport committee was formed in Chintsa Village, and I became secretary for SANCO (Chintsa Village Council).

What are the ages of the girls who are taking part in the Netball?  

From 13-22 years

When do you ladies practise? 

Monday-Thursday, and we put in extra days if there will be a match!

How many teams do you have?

Currently we have three teams: an A and B team, and the third team is for the youngsters.   Most of the players are at schools which are too far from Chintsa, and they are finding it hard to play. But we have now got some new players who have joined, and they play like professionals!

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Friends of Chintsa attended the Big Chintsa Sports Day in March this year, where the village celebrated the One Year Anniversary of the new sports field and netball court.  There we witnessed first hand the team spirit and professionalism of some of these netball teams, who thrashed the visiting teams to stepped onto their court!