Boxing is a sport that requires discipline, hard work, and dedication, and for many, it's not an easy choice to take up as a career. But for three women from the North West Province, it was a passion they couldn't ignore.
Onalenna Tsae, Goitseone Kgopiso, and Keamogetse Lesole, all from Mafikeng, decided to open a boxing academy named SK Boxing Academy. to help develop and promote the sport in their community.
The SK Boxing Academy is strictly women-owned and run, established in September 2022. Currently, the Academy has two branches in Uitkyk village and Mmabatho, with no permanent building to house its equipment. The Academy has movable boxing training equipment to take to their training venues.
Onalenna Tsae, the current Deputy Secretary of the South African National Open Boxing Organisation in the NW Province, is a boxing coach who coached her partners at SK Boxing Academy. She is also a Provincial Executive Committee member of the North West Provincial Sport Confederation and the Chairwoman of the Women's Commission within the province. Her role is to safeguard women's interest in sports, develop women and ensure opportunities for them within the sports fraternity.
Keamogetse Lesole, a Provincial Boxing Referee and Judge, and Goitseone Kgopisho, a Provincial Coach and a former amateur Boxer, are the other two partners in the academy.
Kgopiso started boxing while at the university. She has won a silver medal and two gold medals at University Sports South Africa Boxing tournaments. She was also selected to represent the provincial team.
The Academy has a total of 22 boxers, both male and female. With the primary of developing and promoting boxing in the North West Province and contributing to its growth.
The Academy also aims to eradicate gangsterism and drug abuse within their community and empower women through coaching, training of boxers, and boxing refereeing and judging. Onalenna said, "We have drawn a plan to achieve this through having coaching and training Referees and Judges. We also have an exchange program with other provinces and local clubs within and outside North West Province's borders. Furthermore, we conduct mental health seminars to equip those involved in boxing, do grading for boxers, and host tournaments."
The academy will be hosting its first major seminar and boxing tournament on the 27th of May 2023. This is a significant achievement for the SK Boxing Academy, and it shows their commitment to promoting the sport of boxing and empowering women in their community. The academy's success is also a testament to the power of women in sports and their ability to make a positive impact in their community.
