02 Apr 2017

Former SSKB boxing club boxer Onkarabile Mothibedi has decided to join the professional boxing ranks and prove his mettle in the paying ranks of the sport.

Scara, as Mothibedi is affectionately known by his legion of fans and opponents has signed with Melroy Boxing stable and will make his professional debut on April, 21.

The Bond Boxing Promotions tournament will see Mothibedi face Zambian Bernard Mwango from the Exodus Boxing stables in Lusaka. Mothibedi, a significant underdog comes face to face with one of Zambia’s most promising junior lightweight pugilist who has already been on the ring thrice, recording two wins and a loss in the process.

However Mothibedi has accepted the fight and with his big heart that he has shown during his tenure as an amateur athlete he is expected to produce the same magic he displayed when he was crowned amongst others champion of the highly coveted Best of the Best Boxing tournament in 2013.

The 24 years old boxer from Good Hope in the Barolong sub district took up boxing gloves as a student at Lotlaamoreng Junior Secondary School. He never looked back until he was spotted as a potential talent when he enrolled at Lobatse Senior Secondary School and immediately joined BMC boxing club.

The club is known to have produced some of the finest boxers in the mold of Bathusi Mogajane, Tirafalo Seoko and Mohamed Otukile amongst others.

Interestingly Mothibedi started to follow the exploits of Olympian boxer Oteng Oteng and the hard-hitting Mooketsi Lekgetho.

His efforts paid off as he was soon discovered by national team scouts but never really made a mark at the national assignments. Ironically in 2014 Mothibedi faced his idol

Oteng in the finals of the National boxing championships and in that explosive bout held at Botho College the youngster was the hungrier of the two but punched his way to a bitter end settling for silver.

He won the best bout of the tournament. From then onwards he has been to the final rounds of the Botswana Boxing Association (BoBA) sanctioned tournaments.

Talking to BOPA on the sidelines of a sparring session on Saturday Mothibedi admitted that he wanted to take his boxing career to another level. He said he has found a team that believed in his dreams and he is willing to fulfill his wish.

He is training under the watchful eye of former middleweight champion Larona Francis. The latter was instrumental in putting in shape the likes of Herbert Nkabiti.

He squared off with former DTCB boxer Tshephang Babui who has already tasted the professional bout with a loss in 2015. Babui will be part of the list for the April 21st tournament. ENDS