Boxing runs deep in family’s veins
When Jabulani Malinga introduced his three sons Peter, Thami and Vusi into boxing, little did he know that he was preparing them for a journey of the achievers.
He turned them into respected SA and world champions.
They have hung up their gloves as fighters with lile or no recognition, and have replaced him as trainers in the JD Malinga Gym in Mofokeng section in Katlehong.
Peter – a 48-year-old former SA, WBU and IBO welterweight champion – hones the skills of professional boxers while Thami, 42, who reigned supreme as the national lightweight holder, grooms them from the amateur ranks.
Vusi, 40, captured the SA and WBC International bantamweight title, and now manages the careers of those boxers as well as the gym that Jabulani got through the assistance of top promoter Branco Milenkovic, who promoted them as fighters.
The boxing bug actually bit the family from Bergville in KwaZulu- Natal way back in the 1970s, when father Jabulani began to box as an amateur under trainer Whitecity Molete in Lindela Station, Katlehong. Jabulani ended up teaming up with Norman Hlabane at the Sanyo Hall, which was inside the Nanceeld men’s hostel in Soweto.
Hlabane, a former professional boxer, turned Jabulani into a professional boxer and the right-hander boxed his way to the Transvaal lightweight title ght but lost to Hope Guliwe and decided to quit.
At that time, Malinga’s firstborn son, Peter, was already an amateur boxer trained by Jabulani after he had stopped assisting Hlabane.
Thami and Vusi were around but still very young.
Peter went into the SA Games and was the champion in 1993 and a runner-up the following year before he turned professional in 1995. Thami and Vusi had also followed in their brother’s footsteps. Thami was never a champion until he turned pro in 1998 while Vusi was still an amateur and was the SA champion in gnat-weight 42kg.
He was the Transvaal champion in 2001. Vusi finally turned professional in 2002. Peter and Vusi won their national belts when Hlabane was still their head trainer with Jabulani the assistant.
But Vusi won his belts during the time when Jabulani had parted ways with Hlabane.
Jabulani trained them in Thokoza, on the East Rand. Jabulani succumbed to poor health in 2013.
Peter quit in 2005 while Vusi retired just after their father had passed on.
Thami soldiered on until 2017 and at that time, Peter had become his father’s assistant.
Milenkovic is credited with assisting Jabulani get his own gym where the three brothers train a number of young fighters. They also have fitness classes.
They produced their first champion last year when Ayanda “Greyhound” Nkosi dethroned Thompson Mokwana as the lightweight champion.
Their mother is also mad about the sport, which helped shape her sons into becoming beer men
By Jabulani Dlamini
Malinga clan soldiers on
