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Thamsanqa Dube

Lovemore Dube Senior Sports Editor
“DON’T count me out yet,” was a bold declaration by former World Boxing Association (Africa) heavyweight champion Thamsanqa Dube yesterday.

Dube yesterday said he was back at training fulltime.

“I’m back at training and working out as if there’s a fight coming soon. I need to stay in shape so that when an opportunity to fight comes along, I’m not caught napping.

“I’ve learnt from past mistakes and I’m eager to get a fight and prove that I’m still there among the best in Africa,” said the Pumula East boxer who has been champion in the heavyweight division for almost a decade.

He said it was frustrating being a professional boxer in Zimbabwe where fights were hard to come.

“You just can’t get fights here. There’re no sponsors and promoters are lying idle without anything to do. So at the end of the day it’s us boxers who suffer as a result of inactivity,” said Dube.

As a way of giving back to the community, Dube has established his own boxing club at Hyde Park.

“The name of the club is Tiger. It’s youngsters who have the passion for the sport who’re dreaming big. I wish to make them champions some day and they’ve shown that they’ve the right attitude and we’re based in Hyde Park where we sweat it out together,” said Dube.

He added: “It’s six boys who’re in the middleweight, bantamweight and pinweight divisions. They’re yet to enter the boxing ring but in the few months we’ve been working together they seem to have the sting.”

Dube’s last duel could have been in August last year but his opponent, a South African, pulled out of the fight on the eve of their Durban contest due to injury.

He last fought in 2011 when he was floored by Flo Simba in a non-title contest.

Dube’s performance on the evening at Emperors’ Palace was so bad that South African promoters closed the door on him.

He believes if an opportunity comes by, he will prove himself to the world.