GOVT INCENTIVISES BOXERS WITH E22 000

MBABANE – The six boxers who won a collective six medals in Mozambique over the past weekend received a total of E22 000, courtesy of the Eswatini Government.

The incentives were part of the E75 000 announced by the Minister of Sports Culture and Youth Affairs Harries ‘Madze’ Bulunga yesterday at the ministry’s offices. The boxers brought home two silver and four bronze medals. The balance of E53 000 was awarded to the Eswatini Swimming Association (ESA) that reaped a total of 10 medals in Zambia last week. Bulunga said the athletes were entitled to E8 000 for each gold medal, E5 000 for silver and E3 000 for bronze.

The silver medalists include; Zweli Dlamini and Princess Temnotfo Dlamini, who became the first senior female boxer to bring home a silver medal. Thabiso Dlamini, Mancoba Dlamini, Sifiso Ngwenya and Sabelo Lukhele collected bronze medals. The minister commended the athletes for their achievement, which placed the kingdom of Eswatini on the map. He also thanked some of the parents and coaches for supporting the athletes. The EBA President, Webster Lukhele, thanked the Eswatini Sports and Recreation Council as well as the Eswatini Olympics and Commonwealth Games Association (EOCGA) for their support towards the athletes. Lukhele made a special plea to the business industry players to use the athletes to market their businesses as brand ambassadors.

“Honourable minister, we are grateful for the support we have received but let me point out the challenges we face in recruiting them. I am appealing to you to reach out to the commerce industry to align with sports and use these athletes in their billboards as their brand ambassadors. By so doing, the younger generation will be inspired,” Lukhele said. He further highlighted the financial challenges that limited athletes’ performance, such as the lack of proper nutritional guidance from qualified nutritionist as well as the substandard post-match recovery since the athletes normally did not afford to pay for physiotherapy. Meanwhile, senior boxer Thabiso Dlamini, on behalf of the boxers, thanked EBA for entrusting them with representing the country in the competition.

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