Latest news with #Edenvale-based
The Citizen
15 hours ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Edenvale boxers shine and stumble at Emperors Palace fight night
It was a boxing bonanza as fighters from Edenvale recently stepped into the ring at Emperors Palace. Three local fighters competed in The Coronation Box and Dine Tournament, held at the Centre Court on May 31, delivering a night filled with both triumph and heartbreak. Headlining the event was Primrose resident Shervantaigh Koopman, who trains out of the Edenvale-based Brian Mitchell Boxing Academy. ALSO READ: Boxing SA under fire as retired boxers seek missing millions Koopman, who entered the ring with a 15-fight unbeaten streak, had his world title hopes dashed after a tough loss to Portugal's Uisma 'Monster' Lima, the defending IBO Super Welterweight champion. Lima, born in Angola, came out aggressively in the opening round. It took Koopman several rounds to adjust to the champion's unrelenting pressure. Though Koopman appeared to be gaining ground in the third and fourth rounds, Lima's intensity didn't wane. By the fifth round, the crowd began to understand why the Monster had defeated his previous three unbeaten opponents. The decisive moment came in the ninth round when Lima landed a vicious left hook that sent Koopman to the canvas. ALSO READ: Local boxers give fans a thrill in tournament Though he bravely got back to his feet, another punishing left prompted Koopman's corner to throw in the towel—ending his unbeaten streak at 15 fights. Despite the setback, Koopman and his team are expected to regroup, re-strategize, and return stronger in the near future. Kuse overcomes early knockdown to secure victory In the undercard event, South African and ABU Strawweight champion Siyakholwa 'One Way' Kuse, also from the Brian Mitchell Boxing Academy, faced the experienced Samuel Salva of the Philippines in an international minimumweight bout. Salva shocked the crowd by dropping Kuse in the first round with a furious opening attack. ALSO READ: Edenvale boxers take to the ring However, Kuse beat the count and used his full skillset to weather the storm. As the rounds progressed, he found his rhythm and steadily turned the tide. By the later rounds, Kuse was in full control. In the ninth, he returned the favor by sending Salva to the canvas. Although Salva beat the count and completed all 10 rounds, Kuse had done enough to earn a unanimous decision victory, with the judges scoring the bout 97–91, 95–94, and 97–92. In the opening bout of the evening, fellow Edenvale fighter Tyla Promnick remained unbeaten after dominating debutant Zanele Masilela of eMalahleni in a strawweight contest. Promnick, trained by Alan Toweel at the Alan Toweel Boxing Gym in Linden, dropped Masilela three times in the opening round. She continued the onslaught in the second, forcing Masilela's corner to throw in the towel just 57 seconds into the round, giving Promnick a TKO victory in the fight, which was scheduled for four rounds. Promnick now boasts an impressive record of 3–0. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
07-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Edenvale swimmers splash it up at nationals
Edenvale swimmers splash it up at nationals Swimmers from Edenvale-based Dragons Swimming Club recently made a splash when they competed in the SA Senior National Swimming Championships. The championships were held in Gqeberha from April 9 to April 13. While at the national event, the club's multiclass swimmers Kat Swanepoel and Geosh Nienaber achieved record-breaking results. ALSO READ: Local swimmers excel at nationals Swanepoel broke the SA senior record in both the 50m breaststroke (SB4) and the 100m backstroke (S5). She also won gold for her performance in the 50m backstroke and silver in the 100m backstroke. Nienaber broke the SA Under 18 record in both the 100m backstroke (S8) and the 50m freestyle (S8), as well as the SA Senior record in the 50m freestyle (S8). He finished the championships with five medals: gold in the 50m backstroke, silver in the 50m butterfly and 100m freestyle and bronze in both the 100m backstroke and 50m freestyle. 'The build-up to nationals was a challenging time for both Kat and Geosh so to see them perform the way they did and to still break records is phenomenal,' said coach Theo Verster. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
